George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 

COLONEL  FLOWERS 


h i ^ ^ /y 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/pikecounty01cone 


PIKE  COUNTY 

MISSISSIPPI 

1798-1876 


Pioneer  Families  and  Confederate  Soldiers 
Reconstruction  and  Redemption 


BY 

LUKE  WARD  CONERLY 


NASHVILLE,  TENNESSEE 
BRANDON  PRINTING  COMPANY 
I909 


Copyright,  1909,  by  Luke  W.  Conerly. 


THE  FLOWERS  COLLECTION 


C T4-7"P 


Co  tfye 

Pioneer  (Ancestors 

Patriotic  anb  Deooteb  tDomen  anb  Confcberate  Solbiers 
of  pike  County,  Mississippi 
(Ttys  JDork  is  Debicateb 

Ctje  Gutter 


3WW3 


Introduction 


The  object  of  'writing  this  book  was  the  preservation  of  the  names 
of  the  Confederate  soldiers  of  Pike  County,  Mississippi. 

In  presenting  it  to  the  public  the  author  does  so  with  the  con- 
sciousness of  having  performed  a sacred  duty,  purely  and  simply, 
and  he  believes  that  'without  his  w?ork  much  would  have  been  lost  of 
historical  interest  and  importance  to  the  future  of  Pike  County  and 
to  the  historian. 

It  was  not  a part  of  his  plans  to  enter  into  details  of  the  Civil  War 
except  such  as  related  to  Pike  County  and  the  gallant  men  whose 
names  appear  on  the  rolls  of  the  companies  incorporated  in  the  work 
and  remembrance  of  the  women  of  that  period;  and,  in  connection 
with  them,  it  seemed  just  and  proper  to  go  back  to  the  early  days  of 
the  pioneer  settlement  of  the  territory  embraced  in  Pike  County  and 
give  a record,  as  far  as  possible,  of  the  brave  men  and  women  who  left 
their  homes  in  the  older  States  to  locate  in  the  wilds  and  amid  the 
dangers  of  a new  territory ; men  and  women  who  became  the  ancestors 
of  a hardy,  self-reliant  race  of  unbending  fortitude  and  heroic  virtues. 
To  his  mind  there  is  a glory  enshrining  their  memory  akin  to  that 
which  belongs  to  and  embelishes  the  Revolution  of  ’76. 

An  examination  of  records  in  the  Department  of  Archives  and  His- 
tory in  the  State  House  disclosed  to  the  writer  that  the  muster  rolls 
and  records  "were  incomplete,  being  those  made  out  and  filed  in  1861, 
and  not  containing  names  of  recruits  that  entered  the  Confederate 
service  with  these  companies  and  served  through  the  war,  nor  any 
final  statements,  thus  leaving  out  of  the  records  a large  number  of 


376773 


men  who  were  engaged  in  the  most  eventful  scenes  of  the  great  con- 
flict, and  some  companies  not  appearing  among  the  records  at  all. 
This  made  it  necessary  to  obtain  them  otherwise,  which  has  required 
many  years  and  a most  careful  revision  through  the  aid  of  survivors 
of  the  different  companies  The  names  of  many  who  went  into  the 
service  with  other  commands  have  been  lost,  but  the  author  feels  that 
so  far  as  concerns  the  names  of  members  of  companies  organized  in 
and  going  out  from  Pike  County  his  record  is  measurably  correct, 
and  trusts  that  his  care  and  labor  and  great  personal  expense  will 
prove  useful,  instructive  and  valuable,  as  well  as  interesting,  and 
will  be  appreciated  by  those  into  whose  hands  it  may  come. 


History  of  Pike  County,  Mississippi 


CHAPTER  I. 

ORIGIN  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  territory  of  Mississippi  was  owned  and  occupied  by  the 
Natchez,  Choctaw,  Chickasaw,  Biloxi,  Pascagoula,  Chocchuma, 
Tunica  and  Yazoo  Indians. 

The  Chickasaws  and  Choctaws  were  the  most  powerful  and  occu- 
pied the  northern,  central  and  southern  parts  of  the  territory. 

The  Natchez  lived  along  the  Mississippi  River,  the  Biloxies  and 
Pascagoulas  on  the  Gulf  coast,  and  the  Tunicas  and  Yazoo  tribes 
lived  on  the  Yazoo  River. 

The  Chocchumas  lived  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  territory. 

Spain  nominally  possessed  this  territory  until  1699,  when  the 
Trench  under  Pierre  LeMoine  d’Iberville  made  a settlement  at  Biloxi 
and  called  it  Louisiana,  with  Biloxi  the  seat  of  government. 

In  1763  Mississippi  Territory  became  a province  of  England, 
known  as  West  Florida,  and  a province  of  Spain  in  1781,  the  Spanish 
seat  of  government  being  at  Natchez. 

In  1795  the  Natchez  district  became  a part  of  the  United  States, 
and  the  Mississippi  Territory  was  formed  by  act  of  Congress  in  1798. 

While  a territory  of  Georgia  that  portion  lying  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River  between  latitude  310  and  the  mouth  of  the  Yazoo  River 
was  called  the  county  of  Bourbon. 

In  1795  Georgia  sold  to  four  companies  about  three  millions  of 
acres  of  this  territory  for  two  and  one-half  cents  per  acre. 

The  census  of  1800  gave  Mississippi  Territory  a population  of 
8,850  for  the  counties  of  Pickering,  Adams  and  Washington,  and  the 
census  of  1810  gave  a population  of  40,352  for  the  counties  of  Picker- 
ing, Adams,  Washington,  Baldwin,  Amite,  Claiborne,  Franklin,  Madi- 
son, Jeflerson,  Warren,  Wayne  and  Wilkinson. 


10 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  District  of  Mobile,  lying  east  of  Pearl  River,  west  of  the  Per- 
dido and  south  of  the  31st  degree  of  latitude,  was  annexed  to  Missis- 
sippi in  1812. 

Hernando  DeSoto  and  his  Spanish  followers  were  the  first  white 
men  mentioned  in  our  histories  to  explore  the  territory  now  the  State 
of  Mississippi.  They  came  in  on  the  Black  Warrior  and  Tombigbee 
Rivers  in  1540. 

In  1673  Pere  Jacques  and  Louis  Joliet  came  down  the  Mississippi 
River,  probably  as  far  as  Natchez. 

In  1683  LaSalle,  a French  explorer,  passed  down  the  Mississippi 
River  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

A colony  was  planted  on  the  Bay  of  Biloxi  in  1699  by  Pierre 
LeMoine  d’Iberville. 

Fort  Rosalie,  where  Natchez  stands,  was  built  in  1716  under  direc- 
tion of  Bienville,  Governor  of  Louisiana. 

In  1721  a colony  was  started  at  Pascagoula.  The  Mississippi 
Territory  became  a part  of  Georgia  in  1732. 

In  1809,  under  the  administration  of  Gov.  David  Holmes,  the 
Indians  began  to  give  trouble  and  in  August,  1812,  Fort  Mims  was 
attacked  by  1 ,000  Creek  Indians  and  their  British  allies  under  Weather- 
ford, McQueen  and  Francis,  and  260  of  the  garrison  massacred.  The 
following  year  their  holy  city,  Escanachaha,  was  destroyed  by  an 
expedition  of  Mississippians  under  General  Claiborne. 

PIKE  COUNTY. 

The  territory  of  which  the  county  of  Pike  is  a part  was  originally 
occupied  by  the  Chickasaw,  Choctaw  and  Natchez  Indians. 

According  to  our  histories,  the  first  European  who  visited  the 
region  of  country  of  which  the  State  of  Mississippi  was  then  a part, 
was  Hernando  DeSoto,  a Spaniard  who,  having  projected  the  con- 
quest of  Florida,  came  from  Cuba  in  1539  with  a considerable  force 
and  traversed  the  country  to  a great  distance,  and,  in  the  spring  of 
1541,  first  discovered  the  Mississippi  River,  five  or  six  hundred  miles 
above  its  mouth. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


11 


In  1683  M.  LaSalle  visited  the  same  region  and  gave  it  the  name 
of  Louisiana,  in  honor  of  Louis  XIVth  of  France.  We  are  told  by 
early  writers  that  over  this  -undefined  but  vast  extent  of  country  the 
French  claimed  jurisdiction,  and,  in  1716,  they  began  a settlement  at 
Natchez  on  the  Mississippi  River,  and  erected  a fort. 

In  1763  they  ceded  the  country  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  to 
the  English,  and  the  latter  ceded  it  to  Spain  in  1783. 

In  1798  the  Spaniards  abandoned  it  to  the  United  States. 

In  1798  the  territory  lying  between  the  western  boundary  of 
Georgia  and  the  Mississippi  River,  and  which  until  now  had  been 
claimed  by  Georgia  and  called  the  Georgia  Territory,  was  erected  by 
Congress  into  a district  territorial  government  by  the  name  of  the 
Mississippi  Territory. 

Under  this  government,  with  Winthrop  Sargent  at  its  head,  the 
Territory  was  divided  into  two  counties — the  southern  portion  being 
called  Adams  County  and  the  northern  portion  Pickering  County. 

Under  acts  of  December  9,  1811,  all  that  tract  of  country  within 
the  following  boundaries,  to-wit:  “Beginning  on  the  line  of  demarka- 
tion  where  the  fourth  range  of  townships  east  of  Pearl  River  inter- 
sects the  said  line,  thence  west  with  said  line  of  demarkation  to  the 
sixty  mile  post  east  of  the  Mississippi,  being  the  first  range  of  town- 
ships west  of  Tansopiho;  thence  north  on  said  line  of  townships  to 
the  Choctaw  boundary  line;  thence  along  the  said  Choctaw  boundary 
line  to  the  fourth  range  of  townships  east  of  Pearl  River;  thence  with 
said  range  to  the  beginning,  shall  constitute  a county  which  shall  be 
called  Marion”  (named  in  honor  of  Gen.  Francis  Marion). 

John  Ford,  George  H.  Nixon,  William  Whitehead,  Stephen  Noble 
and  John  Graves  were  appointed  commissioners  for  Marion  County  with 
power  to  establish  a seat  of  government,  which  was  located  on  Pearl 
River  at  a place  called  Columbia. 

At  this  period  the  country  was  comparatively  an  unbroken  wilder- 
ness with  but  few  inhabitants  who  had  been  lured  by  the  thoughts  of 
adventure  to  abandon  their  homes  in  the  older  States  of  Georgia, 
South  Carolina,  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  and  with  their  families 
and  transportable  property,  penetrated  the  depths  of  this  wilderness 


12 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


as  pioneers,  to  begin  the  foundation  of  new  homes  and  a great  State 
government. 

John  Applewhite  and  Jacob  Ford,  with  others  from  North  Carolina, 
with  their  families,  embarked  in  flatboats  on  the  Cumberland  Riv  er, 
floated  down  to  Natchez  and  moved  across  to  Pearl  River  and  settled, 
and  Michael  Harvey  came  in  there  from  Georgia  in  1808.  As  far 
back  as  1798  immigrants  began  to  come  in  and  locate  on  the  different 


. The  Alford  Bridge  over  Bogue  Chitto  River  in  the 
Northern  Part  of  Pike  County 


streams  threading  the  extensive  territory  embraced  in  Marion  County, 
the  Pearl  and  Bogue  Chitto  Rivers  receiving  the  larger  number  and 
extending  in  groups  along  the  Tansopiho,  the  Otopasas,  Magees  Creek 
and  their  numerious  tributaries. 

John  Warren  is  said  to  have  settled  on  the  Otopasas  about  seven 
miles  north  of  the  town  of  Holmesville  as  early  as  1799;  and  John 
Magee  even  earlier  than  this  on  Magees  Creek,  and  Jacob  Owens  on 
Dry  Creek  about  1800.  Between  this  time  and  1816  they  came  in 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


13 


larger  numbers,  locating  themselves  more  nearly  to  the  beautiful 
clear-water  streams  and  tributary  branches. 

The  river  and  creek  bottoms  were  covered  with  a dense  growth 
of  wild  cane  and  the  pine  hill  regions  with  a wild  pea  commonly 
known  as  partridge  pea,  beggar  lice  and  other  rich  vegetation  and 
grasses,  affording  magnificent  pasturage  for  horses,  cattle,  sheep, 
goats  and  hogs;  and  the  swamps  with  mast-producing  trees,  and  the 
streams  abounding  with  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  fish.  Wild  deer, 
turkeys,  bear,  wolves,  panthers,  cats,  coons,  opossums,  beavers,  otters, 
squirrels  and  the  numerous  feathered  tribe  for  game  were  practically 
inexhaustible. 

Reports  going  back  from  those  who  were  first  to  venture  into 
these  regions  to  their  friends  and  kindred  in  the  States  induced  others 
hence,  and  during  the  intervening  years  prior  to  1815  the  population 
had  increased  so  as  to  be  numbered  by  the  thousands  instead  of  the 
few  dozens,  scattered  over  the  20,000  square  miles  of  this  county  of 
the  Mississippi  Territory.  Nearly,  if  not  all,  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Marion  County  embraced  within  the  designated  lines  of  Pike  County 
squatted  on  public  lands,  built  their  homes  and  lived  on  them  long 
befoie  a squiring  deeds  from  the  government,  and  hence  the  map  of 
the  first  entries  cannot  be  relied  upon  as  a guide  to  determine  the 
date  ot  settlement,  and  some  of  them  not  for  nearly  a half  century 
afterwards. 

Vi  hile  yet  a territory  the  seat  of  government  of  Mississippi  was 
locateo  alternately  at  Washington  and  Natchez. 

By  an  act  of  December  9,  1815,  of  the  Territorial  General  Assem- 
bly, the  county  of  Marion  was  divided  in  the  following  manner,  which 
record  was  transcribed  from  the  county  records  of  Pike  several  years 
betoie  the  destruction  of  the  courthouse  in  Magnolia,  when  the  records 
of  couit  were  lost: 

"Beginning  on  the  line  of  demrkation  at  the  southeast  comer  of  Amite 
County,  running  from  thence  east  along  said  line  thirty  miles;  thence  a line  to 
run  due  north  to  its  intersection  with  the  summit  of  the  dividing  ridge  between 
the  waters  of  Bogue  Chitto  and  Pearl  Rivers,  after  the  same  shall  cross  the 
waters  of  Magees  Creek;  thence  along  the  said  ridge  until  it  intersects  the  south- 
ern boundary  of  Laurence  County;  and  all  that  tract  of  territory  fromerly  a 


14 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


part  of  Marion  County,  lying  north  and  west  of  the  lines  thus  described,  shall 
form  a new  county  to  be  named  Pike”  (in  honor  of  General  Zebulon  Pike). 

Until  the  commissioners  appointed  to  fix  the  permanent  seat  of 
justice  had  designated  the  spot,  the  place  of  holding  court  in  Pike 
County  was  at  the  residence  of  Gabriel  Allen,  who  acquired  owner- 
ship to  the  north  half  of  section  28,  township  3,  range  9 east  in  Janu- 
ary 17,  1815,  and  March  8,  1816,  on  the  west  side  of  the  Bogue  Chitto 
River,  near  the  geographical  center  of  the  new  county. 

Benjamin  Bagley,  Peter  Felder,  Sr.,  Obid  Kirkland,  William 
Bullock  and  David  McGraw,  Sr.,  were  appointed  commissioners  to 
fix  on  the  site  for  public  buildings,  to  be  located  at  the  most  eligible 
place  within  three  miles  of  the  geographical  center  of  the  county  of 
Pike,  said  place  so  fixed  to  remain  as  the  permanent  seat  of  justice. 
These  commissioners  Were  required  to  procure,  by  purchase  on  the 
best  terms,  or  by  donation,  as  much  land  as  necessary  for  the  seat 
of  justice,  provided  the  quantity  was  not  less  than  forty  acres  nor 
more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  to  have  an  equal  regard 
for  eligibility  of  situation  and  the  convenience  of  the  inhabitants,  so 
as  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  the  county.  Said  lands  to  be  laid 
off  in  town  lots,  reserving  a sufficient  quantity  for  a public  square,  a 
courthouse,  jail  and  church ; the  balance  to  be  sold  and  the  proceeds 
used  for  county  purposes. 

The  commissioners  having  located  the  spot  and  procured  the  prop- 
erty as  required  by  the  law,  an  act  was  passed  by  the  General  Assembly, 
December  11,  1816,  ratifying  the  action  of  the  commissioners  and  giv- 
ing it  the  name  of  Holmesville,  in  honor  of  Maj.  Andrew  Hunter 
Holmes.* 

The  commissioners,  in  selecting  this  spot  for  a seat  of  justice,  acted 
with  great  wisdom,  not  only  on  account  of  its  being  near  the  geo- 
graphical center  of  the  county,  but  from  a picturesque  point  of  view, 

*Major  Andrew  Hunter  Holmes  was  an  army  officer:  Captain,  of  the 
24th  Infantry,  in  1812;  he  was  major  June  8th  to  September  4th,  1813;  was 
major  32nd  Infantry,  April  18,  1814.  He  was  killed  August  4th,  1814,  in  an 
attack  on  Fort  Mackinac,  Michigan. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


15 


its  sanitation  and  its  availability  as  a business  center  and  watering 
facilities. 

The  town  was  located  on  a sloping  hummock,  partly  in  section  28, 
acquired  by  Gabriel  Allen,  and  partly  in  section  21,  acquired  by 
R.  Hardly,  at  the  base  of  a high  range  of  pine  hills  gently  circling  its 
western  and  southern  borders,  spreading  out  fan-like  northeastward, 
with  the  beautiful  Bogue  Chitto  River  forming  its  northeastern  boun- 
dary. 

This  stream  takes  its  rise  from  a multitude  of  springs  and  branches 
that  come  out  north  and  west  of  Brookhaven,  in  Lincoln  County, 
Bogue  Chitto  and  Johnson  stations,  and  flows  in  a southeasterly 
direction  through  Pike  County  and  Washington  Parish  and  empties 
into  Pearl  River  in  St.  Tammany  Parish,  La.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
lovable  and  picturesque  streams  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the  South. 
Its  waters,  coming  from  pure  limpid  springs  that  supply  its  numerous 
tributaries,  flow  softly  and  sweetly  over  gravel  beds  from  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  county  till  it  passes  away  in  its  meanderings  into 
Louisiana,  mirrowing  in  its  bright  waters  the  grand  scenery  bordering 
either  side  of  it  for  over  a hundred  miles.  At  intervals,  and  alter- 
nately, it  is  overlooked  by  high  ridges  covered  with  majestic  pine, 
oak,  beech,  magnolia  and  a multitude  of  other  valuable  growth,  that 
moan  eternally  as  they  are  fanned  by  the  ocean’s  breezes.  Its  waters, 
like  all  other  inland  streams,  were  full  of  fish,  and  its  forests  inhabited 
by  wild  game  in  great  abundance,  and  the  trapper  and  the  hunter 
had  all  the  employment  desired. 

Just  at  the  foot  of  the  hammock,  on  which  the  town  of  Holmesville 
was  built,  was  a ravine  or  slough  that  reached  from  the  river  above, 
passing  on  down  and  emptying  into  it  below,  forming  a small  island 
between  the  base  of  the  town  and  the  river.  Along  this  ravine  was  a 
network  of  fresh-water  springs  which  were  utilized  for  drinking  and 
household  purposes  by  the  first  settlers,  but  wells  were  afterwards 
dug  and  good  water  obtained  at  a depth  of  twenty  feet  and  over. 

The  river  for  a long  distance  in  front  of  Holmesville  was  deep  and 
unfordable  and  had  to  be  crossed  on  flatboats  made  for  the  purpose 
and  used  as  public  ferries.  The  first  one  of  these  was  located  above 


16 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


the  town  some  distance  near  the  home  of  widow  Mulligan,  known  as 
Carroll’s  ferry,  where  General  Carroll,  commanding  a small  division 
of  Tennessee  troops,  crossed  on  his  route  to  New  Orleans  during  the 
War  of  1812  and  1815.  This  was  afterward  abandoned  and  another 
one  was  established  below  the  island  in  front  of  the  town  and  was 
worked  by  Solomon  Quin,  a negro  slave  who  belonged  to  Mrs.  Martha 
Quin,  widow  of  Col.  Peter  Quin,  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  the 
town.  For  many  years  after  this  Solomon  was  a noted  ginger-cake 
and  com  beer  vendor  at  all  the  gatherings  and  occasions  of  public 
interest  in  the  history  of  Holmesville. 

General  Carroll,  above  mentioned,  marched  through  the  country 
all  the  way  from  Tennessee  to  New  Orleans  and  cut  his  trail,  or  path, 
through  the  forests  as  he  traveled,  for  the  purpose  of  reaching  New 
Orleans  in  time  to  aid  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  in  defence  of  that  city 
against  the  British  invaders  under  General  Packingham.  His  route 
through  Pike  County  was  nearly  due  north  and  south,  crossing  Bogue 
Chitto  above  the  town  of  Holmesville  at  a point  afterwards  known 
as  Carroll’s  ferry,  and  passing  down  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
keeping  the  main  ridge  route  as  nearly  as  practicable  to  Love’s  Creek, 
through  the  Brumfield,  Forest,  Leggett,  Pound,  Walker  and  Simmons 
neighborhood,  and  thence  due  south  on  through  Washington  Parish, 
La.  After  the  battle  of  Chalmette,  fought  on  the  8th  of  January, 
1815,  General  Carroll  returned  with  his  Tennessee  troops  through 
Pike  County  the  same  route  he  had  blazed  out  on  his  advance,  and 
camped  for  awhile  on  Loves  Creek. 

There  were  a few  pioneer  settlers  in  this  section  at  that  time  with 
family  names  as  above  mentioned.  While  camped  here  he  lost  one 
of  his  men  and  buried  him  in  the  woods  beside  the  trail  he  had  cut 
out  and  marked  the  grave  with  a slab  hewed  out  of  a tree  cut  from 
the  woods.  In  this  particular  section  this  trail  has  since  been  kept 
well  marked  and  the  pioneer  settlers,  their  children  and  grand  children 
and  great  grand  children  have  kept  an  eye  on  the  grave  of  this  gallant 
Tennessee  soldier  all  along  down  the  passing  years. 

While  compiling  notes  and  records  for  this  work  the  writer  had 
occasion  to  accept  the  hospitality  of  Henry  S.  Brumfield,  who  lived 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


17 


nearby,  and  who  was  born  and  raised  in  the  neighborhood.  Mr.  Brum- 
field’s ancestors  and  others  had  transmitted  to  him  a knowledge  of 
this  grave  and  he  made  it  a point  to  care  for  it  in  order  that  its  identity 
might  not  be  lost.  He  mentioned  the  circumstances  to  the  writer 
and  the  following  morning  went  with  him  and  showed  him  the  grave, 
a note  of  which  was  taken  at  the  time. 

In  1907  Congress  passed  an  act  making  appropriation  for  the  Chalmette 
Cemetery,  records  and  monuments,  or  memorials,  to  the  heroes  of  that  bat- 
tle. This  fact  coming  to  the  knowledge  of  the  writer,  he  addressed  a letter 
to  Hon.  Luke  Wright,  Secretary  of  War,  acquainting  him  with  the  traditions 
and  history  of  Gen.  Carroll’s  march  through  Pike  County  and  the  death  and 
burial  of  this  soldier  in  an  isolated  place  in  the  woods  of  Love’s  Creek,  suggest- 
ing that  if  the  government  would  furnish  a suitable,  lasting  slab  or  mark  for 
the  grave,  Mr.  Henry  S.  Brumfield  and  himself  would  put  it  up,  both  being 
ex-Confederate  soldiers  and  feeling  an  interest  in  so  doing;  and,  inasmuch  as 
the  government  was  going  to  make  Chalmette  a National  Cemetery  and  mark 
the  graves  of  soldiers  who  fell  there,  it  seemed  to  him  proper  that  the  govern- 
ment should  have  a consideration  for,  and  not  overlook  the  remains  of  this 
one  who  had  served  in  that  memorable  campaign,  whose  name  had  been  lost 
by  the  decay  of  the  wooden  slab  that  bore  its  inscription,  but  the  identity  of 
whose  last  resting  place  was  without  a question  of  doubt  in  his  mind.  The 
result  was  that  the  matter  was  referred  to  the  Quartermaster  General  of  the 
army,  and  through  correspondence  between  Captain  P.  W.  Whitworth,  Quar- 
termaster U.  S.  A.,  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  the  writer,  and  Captains  Louis  F. 
Gerrard  and  Arthur  Cranshon,  Quartermasters  U.  S.  A.,  and  Major  Arthur 
M.  Edwards,  Commissary,  U.  S.  A.,  New  Orleans,  La,,  arrangements  were 
made  and  instructions  given  to  Capt.  Thomas  O’Shea,  Superintendent  of  the 
Chalmette  Cemetery,  to  be  accompanied  by  the  writer  from  Gulfport,  to 
proceed  to  Pike  County,  locate  the  grave  and  disinter  the  remains  and 
convey  them  to  New  Orleans  for  reinterment  in  the  Chalmette  Cemetery. 
This  was  done  October  9,  1908.  Arriving  at  Magnolia  on  the  night  of  the  5th, 
they  proceeded  the  following  day,  being  conveyed  to  the  spot  by  Henry  Brum- 
field, Jr.,  where  they  procured  the  assistance  of  Elisha  Thornhill  and  son  and 
Capt.  Frank  Grouche,  formerly  of  Baton  Rouge,  ex-officer  of  the  regular  army 
of  the  Spanish  War  period,  who  assisted  in  the  work  of  taking  up  the  remains. 
Ninety-three  years  had  passed  since  the  event.  The  soldier  was  buried  in  his 
uniform  without  a coffin.  The  remains  were  flattened  to  a thickness  of  about 
one  inch  and  the  bones  greatly  crumbled.  There  was  a thin,  dark  streak  indi- 
cating the  uniform,  and  some  of  the  army  brass  buttons  used  at  that  time 
were  recovered,  and  some  of  the  teeth — altogether  perhaps  about  fifteen  or 
twenty  pounds,  which  were  placed  in  a zinc-lined  box  prepared  for  the  pur- 
pose. On  the  7th  of  October,  the  remains  were  conveyed  to  New  Orleans  and 

on  the  8th  reinterred  at  Chalmette.  Mr.  Elisha  Thornhill,  above  mentioned, 

2 


18 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


is  a grandson  of  William  Thornhill,  one  of  the  first  pioneer  settlers  of  the  Tyler- 
town  district.  He  married  Hettie  Forest,  a daughter  of  David  W.  Forest  and 

Amelia  Hall  and  granddaughter  of  Richard  Forest  and  Mary  , 

from  Alabama,  who  settled  near  Love’s  Creek,  where  he  raised  his  large  family 
of  sons  and  daughters. 

Capt.  Frank  Grouche  is  a son  of  Mr.  Alex.  Grouche,  the  noted  hotel  keeper 
in  the  city  of  Baton  Rouge.  He  married  Etta  Mahier,  daughter  of  Mrs.  A.  T. 
Mahier,  both  of  the  first  French  families  of  that  city. 

The  following  letters  were  received  by  the  author  from  the  War  Department 
in  reference  to  this  incident : 

WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

OFFICE  OF  THE  QUARTERMASTER  GENERAL. 

(234-383) 

Mr.  Luke  W.  Conerly,  Washington,  August  18,  1908. 

Gulfport,  Miss. 

Sir: 

I am  directed  by  the  Quartermaster  General  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  your  letter  of  July  18,  1908,  addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  reporting 
the  finding  of  the  grave  of  one  of  General  Carroll’s  men  in  Pike  County,  Miss., 
who  died  while  traveling  with  his  command  on  the  way  to  New  Orleans  in 
1814-15;  and  in  which  you  request  that  a suitable  marker  be  furnished  for 
his  grave,  which  is  now  only  temporarily  marked  with  a slab  hewed  out  of 
yellow  pine,  and  is  decaying  very  rapidly. 

In  reply  you  are  informed  that  an  effort  has  been  made  to  obtain  the  name 
and  service  of  this  soldier  from  the  records  of  the  office  of  The  Adjutant  General 
of  the  Army,  but  I regret  to  state  that  such  effort  has  proved  fruitless.  If, 
however,  no  objection  be  interposed,  the  necessary  steps  will  be  taken  for  the 
disinterment  of  these  remains  and  shipment  to  the  national  cemetery  at  Chal- 
mette,  La.,  for  reinterment.  There  the  grave  will  be  appropriately  marked 
and  perpetually  cared  for.  Respectfully, 

P.  Whitworth, 

Captain  and  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  A. 

WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

OFFICE  OF  THE  QUARTERMASTER, 

416  HIBERNIA  BANK  BUILDING. 

Mr.  Luke  W.  Conerly,  New  Orleans,  La.,  August  20,  1908. 

Gulfport,  Miss. 

Sir: 

The  Quartermaster  General  of  the  Army  has  furnished  this  office  with  a 
copy  of  his  communication  to  you  dated  August  18,  1908  (No.  234,383),  relative 
to  your  report  of  the  finding  of  the  grave  of  one  of  General  Carroll’s  men  in 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


19 


Pike  County,  Miss.,  who  died  while  traveling  with  his  command  on  the  way 
to  New  Orleans,  La.,  in  1814-15. 

With  a view  of  having  the  remains  disinterred  and  removing  same  to  the 
Chalmette,  La.,  National  Cemetery,  near  New  Orleans,  La.,  for  reinterment, 
I have  the  honor  to  request  that  you  please  furnish  this  office  with  the  follow- 
ing information,  viz.: 

1.  The  name,  date  of  death,  etc.,  of  the  deceased,  and  any  other  informa- 
tion which  you  might  give  bearing  on  the  subject. 

2.  If  practicable,  the  exact  location  of  the  grave,  and  the  approximate  dis- 
tance to  the  nearest  railroad  leading  to  this  city. 

3.  The  approximate  cost  of  making  a pine  box  10x10x26  inches,  of  one  inch 
lumber. 

4.  Approximate  cost  of  disinterring,  boxing,  and  conveying  the  remains 
to  the  nearest  railroad  leading  to  this  city. 

It  is  thought  that  the  information  desired  under  items  3 and  4 could  be 
obtained  from  some  of  the  local  undertakers  in  the  vicinity. 

Thanking  you  in  advance  for  your  courtesy,  I am, 

Very  respectfully, 

Arthur  Cranshon, 

Captain  and  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  Army. 

P.  S.  A self-addressed  envelope  is  enclosed  for  reply,  which  need  not  be 
stamped.  C. 


WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

OFFICE  OF  THE  QUARTERMASTER, 

416  HIBERNIA  BANK  BUILDING. 

(ioii.) 

New  Orleans,  La.,  September  21,  1908. 

Mr.  Luke  w.  Conerly, 

Griswold , Harrison  County,  Miss. 

Sir: 

Referring  to  your  letter  of  September  1st,  1908,  I have  the  honor  to  inform 
you  that  the  Quartermaster  General  of  the  Army  has  approved  the  application 
of  this  office  that  you  accompany  the  Superintendent  of  the  Chalmette,  La., 
National  Cemetery  to  the  grave  of  one  of  General  Carroll's  men  buried  in  Pike 
County,  Miss.,  as  stated  in  your  communication  referred  to  above. 

In  this  connection,  you  are  further  informed  that  this  office  will  furnish  the 
necessary  transportation  to  cover  the  journey,  and  in  addition  you  will  be  al- 
lowed not  exceeding  $3.00  per  diem  for  your  necessary  expenses. 

In  order  to  facilitate  matters  in  this  respect,  will  you  please  inform  this 
office  at  the  earliest  practicable  date  when  it  will  be  agreeable  for  you  to  take 


20 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


this  trip,  and  in  doing  so  please  allow  at  least  three  (3)  days’  latitude  in  order 
that  all  arrangements  can  be  perfected,  and  that  no  confusion  may  arise. 

Also  give  full  directions  as  to  where  you  may  be  found,  so  that  the  superin- 
tendent will  have  no  trouble  in  locating  you. 

Thanking  you  in  advance  for  your  courtesy. 

Very  respectfully, 

Louis  P.  Garrard,  Jr., 

Captain  and  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  Army. 

By  Arthur  M.  Edwards, 
Major,  Commissary,  U.  S.  Army, 

In  charge  of  office. 


WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

OFFICE  OF  THE  QUARTERMASTER, 
416  HIBERNIA  BANK  BUILDING. 

(ion.) 


Mr.  Luke  W.  Conerly, 
Gulfport , Miss. 


New  Orleans,  La.,  September  30,  1908. 


Sir: 

In  compliance  with  instructions  contained  in  2nd  indorsement,  office  of 
the  Quartermaster  General  of  the  Army,  dated  September  14,  1908  (234,383), 
you  will  please  proceed  at  the  earliest  practicable  date  after  receipt  of  this 
communication,  to  this  city,  reporting  upon  arrival  to  this  office  for  instruc- 
tions, and  accompany  the  Superintendent,  Chalmette,  La.,  National  Cemetery, 
to  Pike  County,  Miss.,  for  the  purpose  of  positively  locating  the  grave  of  one  of 
General  Carroll’s  men  buried  there,  who  died  while  traveling  with  his  command 
on  the  way  to  New  Orleans  in  1814—15. 

Upon  completion  of  this  duty  you  will  return  to  your  home,  Gulfport, Miss., 
via  New  Orleans,  La. 

Actual  expenses  not  exceeding  $3.00  per  day  will  be  allowed,  and  whenever 
practicable  receipts  should  be  obtained  for  expenditures  on  account  of  meals 
and  lodgings  while  traveling  under  these  orders. 

Transportation  will  be  furnished  by  this  office. 

The  travel  directed  is  necessary  in  the  public  service. 

Very  respectfully, 

Louis  F.  Garrard,  Jr., 
Captain  and  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  Army- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


21 


WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

OFFICE  OF  THE  QUARTERMASTER, 

416  HIBERNIA  BANK  BUILDING. 

(ion.) 

Mr.  Luke  W.  Conerly,  New  Orleans,  La.,  September  30,  1908. 

Rural  Delivery,  Route  No.  3, 

Gulfport,  Miss. 

Sir: 

Replying  to  your  favor  of  22nd  instant,  I have  the  honor  to  enclose  here- 
with Transportation  Request  P-No.  8126,  covering  journey  between  Gulfport, 
Miss.,  and  this  city. 

This  request  should  be  presented  to  the  agent  of  the  Louisville  & Nashville 
Railroad  at  Gulfport,  who  will  furnish  you  a regular  ticket  in  exchange. 

It  is  desired,  if  practicable,  that  you  come  to  New  Orleans  on  Monday 
morning,  October  4th,  on  the  train  arriving  here  at  8:50  a.  m.,  and  on  arrival 
call  at  the  office,  room  416,  Hibernia  Bank  building,  comer  Carondelet  and 
Gravier  Streets,  and  meet  the  Superintendent  of  the  National  Cemetery,  and 
both  then  can  leave  on  the  evening  train  for  Magnolia,  Miss. 

Trusting  this  may  be  agreeable  to  you,  I beg  to  remain 

Very  respectfully, 

Louis  F.  Garrard,  Jr., 
Captain  and  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  Army. 


WAR  DEPARTMENT, 

OFFICE  OF  THE  QUARTERMASTER, 

416  HIBERNIA  BANK  BUILDING. 

Mr.  Luke  W.  Conerly,  New  Orleans,  La.,  October  8,  1908. 

Gulfport,  Miss. 

Sir: 

Upon  the  receipt  of  a letter  from  you  addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 
the  Quartermaster  General  of  the  Army  directed  this  office  to  take  up  the  mat- 
ter with  a view  to  disintering  the  remains  of  one  of  General  Carroll's  men 
whose  burial  place  was  known  to  you,  and  have  the  remains  given  a lot  in  the 
Chalmette  National  Cemetery.  This  matter  was  taken  up  with  you,  and  re- 
quest was  made  of  you  to  accompany  the  Superintendent  of  the  Chalmette 
National  Cemetery  to  this  burial  place  in  order  that  he  might  make  the  disin- 
terment. This  you  did  and  the  matter  has  been  satisfactorily  attended  to, 
due  to  your  assistance,  and  I have  the  honor  to  thank  you  for  the  services 
rendered.  Very  respectfully, 

Louis  F.  Garrard,  Jr., 
Captain  and  Quartermaster,  U.  S.  Army. 


22 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


BONES  OF  SOLDIER  OF  WAR  OF  1812  INTERRED  IN  CHALMETTE  CEMETERY 

Events  of  the  stirring  days  at  the  close  of  the  war  of  1812  were  recalled 
yesterday  by  an  incident  which  took  place  at  the  Chalmette  National  Cemetery 
when  the  bones  of  a Tennessee  soldier,  a hero  of  the  battle  of  Chalmette,  who 
had  died  in  Mississippi  while  returning  to  his  home,  found  their  last  repose  in  the 
cemetery  by  order  of  the  Secretary  of  War,  Luke  Wright.  No  ceremony  attend- 
ed the  reinterment  of  what  remained  of  the  unidentified  body  of  the  soldier; 
simply  the  act  of  burial  in  the  grave  provided  by  the  national  government.  No 
one  was  present  but  the  Superintendent  of  the  Chalmette  Cemetery,  Thomas 
O’Shea  who  saw  that  the  soldier’s-  bones  were  decently  laid  beneath  the  sod  in 
a zinc-lined  box  provided  for  the  purpose. 

Behind  the  discovery  of  the  body  of  the  veteran  buried  ninety-three  years 
ago  is  a pretty  story,  and  that  the  bones  were  honored  with  interment  in  the 
national  cemetery  is  due  to  the  energy  of  a Confederate  veteran,  Sergeant  Luke 
W.  Conerly,  of  Gulfport.  Six  years  ago  Mr.  Conerly,  who  was  a native  of  Marion 
County,  Miss.,  learned  while  making  a search  of  the  old  records  of  Pike  County, 
which  was  formerly  a part  of  Marion,  that  there  was  the  body  of  a soldier  of 
1812  buried  in  a grave  near  the  banks  of  Love’s  Creek,  about  eleven  miles  from 
Magnolia,  on  the  place  of  the  Brumfield  family.  By  making  inquiries  he  learned 
the  exact  location  of  the  grave,  and  began  to  make  efforts  to  secure  the  removal 
of  the  body  to  the  Chalmette  Cemetery. 

Last  year  there  was  an  act  passed  by  Congress  authorizing  the  removal  of  the 
bodies  of  soldiers  to  national  cemeteries  at  the  government’s  expense,  and  Mr. 
Conerly  corresponded  with  Secretary  Taft.  He  said  that  the  only  person  who 
had  an  exact  knowledge  of  the  location  of  the  grave  was  Henry  S.  Brumfield,  a 
grandson  of  the  original  owner  of  the  Brumfield  plantation,  who  is  a man  well 
advanced  in  years.  This  caused  the  department  to  act  quickly,  and  last  week 
Capt.  Louis  F.  Garrard,  Jr.,  United  States  Quartermaster  here,  received  orders 
to  have  Mr.  Conerly  find  the  grave  and  exhume  the  remains. 

The  exhumation  was  made  Wednesday.  Mr.  Conerly  and  Superintendent 
O’Shea  of  the  Chalmette  Cemetery  being  piloted  to  the  grave  by  Mr.  Brumfield 
and  an  aged  negro  servant.  It  was  found  that  the  pine  slab  which  had  marked 
the  grave  had  rotted  away  until  there  was  no  part  of  the  inscription  left  by  which 
it  could  be  identified.  Mr.  Brumfield  said  that  the  records  in  his  family  were 
that  the  soldier  had  been  one  of  the  brigade  of  Gen.  Carroll,  of  Tennessee,  who 
had  lost  a man  while  returning  from  the  battle  of  Chalmette  in  1815,  when  the 
Tennesseans  had  given  valuable  aid  to  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson.  No  trace  of  the 
unfortunate  soldier’s  name  could  be  found,  except  that  the  records  said  the  name 
had  been  cut  in  a pine  slab  which  had  been  placed  to  mark  the  grave. 

Mr.  Conerly  said  that  the  veteran  must  have  been  a man  of  about  six  feet  in 
height,  from  the  size  of  the  grave,  which  had  been  dug  in  a porous  clay  that  held 
the  original  shape  in  which  it  had  been  cut  to  form  the  grave.  Only  the  teeth 
and  a few  of  the  larger  bones  were  found  in  what  was  left  of  the  soldier.  He  had 
evidently  been  buried  uncoffined,  but  as  evidence  that  a soldier  had  been  buried 
there  two  tarnished  and  rust -eaten  brass  buttons  were  found  by  Mr.  Conerly. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


23 


With  them  were  fragments  of  a blue  uniform.  Mr.  Conerly  said  that  the  total 
weight  of  the  remains  must  have  been  about  fifteen  pounds. 

The  bones  and  other  remnants  were  reverently  placed  in  the  box  and  taken 
to  Magnolia,  where  they  were  shipped  to  New  Orleans,  arriving  Wednesday 
night.  Yesterday  morning  a report  was  made  to  Capt.  Garrard,  and  the  re- 
mains were  interred  in  the  national  cemetery. 

Mr.  Conerly  came  to  New  Orleans  with  them.  He  said  that  he  was  engaged 
in  writing  a history  of  Pike  County,  and  that  the  most  gratifying  result  of  his 
work  had  been  the  finding  of  the  bones  of  this  soldier. — New  Orleans  Times- 
Democrat,  October  9,  1908. 


A VETERAN  OF  l8l2. 

A survivor  of  the  famous  battle  of  New  Orleans,  fought  on  the  8th  day  of 
January,  1815,  who  has  lain  in  a lonely  grave  for  ninety-three  years  in  Pike 
County,  was  disinterred  by  order  of  the  United  States  War  Department  Wednes- 
day, and  the  fragments  of  his  bones  taken  to  the  national  cemetery  at  Chal- 
mette  and  re-buried  there. 

The  story  of  the  finding  of  this  ancient  veteran’s  grave  by  the  War  Depart- 
ment makes  a chapter  of  interesting  history. 

In  the  war  of  1812—15  with  England,  its  most  conspicuous  battle  was  that 
fought  between  ten  thousand  of  Wellington’s  trained  soldiers  under  Gen.  Pak- 
enham,  and  less  than  five  thousand  pioneer  frontiersmen  under  Gen.  Andrew 
Jackson,  on  the  field  of  Chalmette,  near  New  Orleans.  Although  the  Treaty 
of  Ghent  between  young  America  and  the  mother  country  was  signed  on  Christ- 
mas Eve  of  1814,  both  Pakenham  and  Jackson  were  ignorant  that  peace  had 
been  declared,  and  when  the  British  general  came  up  the  Mississippi  River  to 
capture  New  Orleans,  “Old  Hickory”  was  lying  behind  cotton  bales  with  five 
thousand  deadly  rifles  peering  between  them.  Pakenham,  himself  a great 
military  leader  and  strategist,  disembarked  his  troops  and  formed  them  on  the 
plain  on  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Borgue.  In  solid  phalanxes  and  with  beauti- 
ful precision,  the  Wellington  soldiers  advanced  upon  that  long  line  of  cotton 
bales.  When  the  enemy  came  within  two  hundred  yards  the  pioneers  fired, 
and  the  resulting  slaughter  was  terrific.  No  less  than  twenty-five  hundred 
Britons  bit  the  dust,  and  the  magnificent  army  was  thrown  into  the  utmost 
confusion.  Jackson  won  the  victory  with  practically  no  loss  and  saved  the  city 
of  New  Orleans  from  sack  and  pillage. 

In  that  army  of  American  pioneers  was  a band  of  men — how  many  is  not 
known — who  had  marched  from  Tennessee  under  Gen.  Carroll.  Passing 
through  Mississippi’s  great  pine  forests,  they  blazed  a trail.  That  trail  passes 
entirely  through  Pike  County,  and  can  be  easily  traced  to  this  day.  After  the 
war  was  ended,  and  Gen.  Jackson  had  disbanded  his  army,  Gen.  Carroll  and  his 
troops  returned  to  Tennessee  by  the  same  trail.  It  is  a matter  of  tradition  that 
they  camped  for  some  time  at  a place  ten  miles  east  of  Magnolia,  and  on  what 
is  now  land  belonging  to  Mr.  H.  S.  Brumfield.  While  there,  presumably  recu- 
perating, one  of  them  died  and  was  buried.  His  comrades  laid  him  in  a grave 


24 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  marked  the  spot  with  a slab  of  yellow  pine,  hand-hewn  and  polished.  During 
all  these  years,  the  grave  has  been  carefully  marked.  Mr.  Henry  S.  Brumfield, 
Sr.,  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  this  county,  states  that  he  himself  has 
replaced  the  wooden  slab  several  times,  so  that  the  identity  of  the  grave  can 
be  established  without  question. 

Last  June,  Mr.  Luke  Conerly  was  made  acquainted  with  these  facts,  and, 
in  company  with  Mr.  H.  S.  Brumfield,  visited  the  grave.  He  collected  all  the 
traditional  data  available  with  reference  to  the  soldier’s  death  and  burial,  and 
furnished  the  same  to  the  War  Department,  requesting  that  the  government 
provide  a permanent  mark  for  the  grave  and,  if  possible,  ascertain  the  name  of 
the  soldier.  The  War  Department  satisfied  itself  as  to  correctness  of  the  facts, 
and  the  investigation  resulted  in  Capt.  Thos.  O’Shea,  Superintendent  of  the 
National  Cemetery  at  Chalmette,  being  directed  to  disinter  the  remains  and 
re -bury  them  in  Chalmette. 

Last  Wednesday  morning,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Conerly,  Capt.  O’Shea 
came  to  Magnolia.  They  drove  out  to  the  grave  and  were  met  there  by  Mr. 
H.  S.  Brumfield,  owner  of  the  land,  and  Mr.  E.  T.  Thornhill,  of  Walker’s  Bridge. 
On  beginning  the  work  of  disinterment,  it  was  found  that  the  clay  soil  was 
packed  as  hard  as  though  it  had  never  been  disturbed,  but  on  reaching  a depth 
of  five  feet  it  was  soft  and  loamy.  At  this  depth,  the  bones  of  the  veteran  were 
discovered.  There  was  no  sign  of  a coffin,  and  it  is  probable  that  none  was 
available  for  his  burial.  The  bones  were  loose  and  a great  many  of  them  had 
wholly  disintegrated.  Some  fragments  of  the  soldier's  uniform  were  unearthed, 
but  these  crumbled  to  dust  as  soon  as  touched.  The  most  important  discovery, 
however,  and  one  which  clinches  the  question  of  identity,  was  two  brass  buttons 
such  as  were  used  on  military  uniforms  in  the  war  of  1812.  The  buttons  had  re- 
tained their  original  form,  but  the  lettering  on  them  was  undecipherable. 

Capt.  O’Shea  carefully  gathered  every  bone  that  could  be  found,  and  placing 
them  in  an  ordinary  wooden  box,  took  them  to  New  Orleans  with  him  on  the 
afternoon  train.  There  they  were  placed  in  a casket  and  interred  with  mili- 
tary honors  in  the  national  cemetery.  So  far,  it  has  been  impossible  to  ascer- 
tain the  name  of  the  soldier,  and  hence  upon  his  tomb  will  be  engraved  the  sim- 
ple but  significant  words: 

“unknown  soldier 
U.  S.  A. 

war  of  1812.”  — Magnolia  Gazette. 

Closely  clustered  around  Holmesville,  who  figured  in  its  conception 
and  its  birth,  were  David  McGraw,  Gabriel  Allen,  C.  Brent,  R.  Hardley, 
John  Smith,  Peter  Quin,  Sr.,  John  Kaigler,  Anthony  Perryman,  Ben- 
jamin Bagley,  William  Love,  Henry  Ragland,  Plans  Hamilton,  Josiah 
Martin,  David  Morgan,  James  Y.  McNabb,  David  Cleveland,  Jeremiah 
Williams,  Phillip  and  Joseph  Catchings,  J.  Peck,  Jonathan  Catchings, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


25 


John  Felder,  David  Winbome,  John  Magee,  Solomon  Causey,  David 
Dixon,  Dr.  Wiley  P.  Harris  and  Joseph  Thornhill. 

In  January,  1816,  J.  Y.  McNabb  was  elected  clerk  of  the  Inferior 
and  Superior  Courts,  and  David  Cleveland  was  elected  sheriff,  and 
they  entered  into  bond  on  the  29th  day  of  January,  1816.  In  August, 
1817,  Laban  Bacot  was  sheriff,  under  the  new  State  regime.  In  the 
fall  election  of  1818,  Henry  Quin  was  elected  clerk  and  Laban  Bacot 
sheriff. 

James  Y.  McNabb  issued  the  first  marriage  license  in  Pike  County, 
February  13,  1816,  to  Jacob  Keen  and  Keziah  Gates.  The  ceremony 
was  performed  by  Vincent  Gamer,  justice  of  the  peace. 

The  map  of  the  survey  of  the  town  of  Holmesville  shows  that  a 
portion  of  the  town  is  located  on  lands  formerly  owned  by  Gabriel 
Allen,  in  section  28,  and  a portion  on  lands  formerly  owned  by  R. 
Hardley,  acquired  by  him  in  1812,  being  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  21,  township  3,  range  9 east.  At  this  time  Peter  Quin  owned 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  29,  which  comers  with  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  21  and  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  28 — the 
map  indicating  that  Holmesville  is  located  in  sections  21  and  28. 

There  has  been  some  speculation  as  to  the  original  ownership  of 
the  public  square  in  the  old  town  of  Holmesville,  it  being  claimed  that 
it  was  donated  conditionally  and  was  to  be  permanently  the  seat  of 
justice,  and  that  a removal  of  the  seat  of  justice  would  work  a reversion 
of  the  ownership  to  the  heirs  of  the  donors  or  vendors. 

The  law  creating  the  new  county  and  authorizing  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  commissioners  also  empowered  them  to  procure  by  pur- 
chase or  donation,  to  the  county,  a tract  of  land  for  a permanent  seat 
of  justice,  not  specifying  any  conditions  as  to  what  should  be  done 
with  it  except  as  provided  by  this  act.  The  act  speaks  for  itself,  and 
surely  intended  a fee  simple  title  and  the  inalienable  right  to  control 
and  use  or  dispose  of  it  as  county  property;  because  it  says  the  com- 
missioners must  sell  the  land  in  town  lots,  reserving  enough  for  a public 
square,  a courthouse,  jail  and  church.  Then,  if  the  public  square 
should  revert,  why  not  all  the  other  lands  sold  into  town  lots  and 
reserved  for  a church  also  revert,  in  event  the  public  interest  demanded 


26 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


at  some  future  time  the  removal  of  the  seat  of  justice.  The  closest 
investigation  by  the  writer  of  the  records  before  their  destruction  by 
fire  failed  to  disclose  any  reservations  or  conditions  on  the  part  of 
those  dealing  with  the  commissioners.  This  square  of  ground  is  a 
sacred  and  historical  spot,  and  it  should  be  held  by  the  county  of 
Pike  in  perpetua.  Around  it  clusters  some  glorious  memories,  from 
the  date  of  its  fixture  as  a seat  of  justice  to  that  when  it  ceased  to 
be  such,  and  to  the  present  day.  The  history  of  Pike  County  is  indis- 
solubly interwoven  with  it  for  ninety  years.  From  here  heroes  went 
and  gave  their  life-blood  for  Mississippi’s  cause — the  children  and 
grandchildren  of  its  pioneers,  and  here,  it  is  claimed  by  many,  that 
Pike  County’s  monuments  should  be  erected  to  commemorate  the 
deeds  of  her  heroic  men  and  her  matchless  women. 

In  1817  Mississippi  was  admitted  into  the  Union  as  a State,  and 
David  Holmes,  who  had  served  as  Governor  since  1809,  was  elected 
Governor  by  the  people. 

The  act  of  Congress  passed  March  1,  1817,  authorizing  a State 
government  of  the  Mississippi  Territory,  defining  its  boundaries, 
reads  as  follows: 

“Sec.  2.  The  said  State  shall  consist  of  all  the  territory  included  within  the 
following  boundaries,  to-wit:  Beginning  on  the  river  Mississippi  at  the  point 

where  the  southern  boundary  line  of  the  State  of  Tennessee  strikes  the  same, 
thence  east  along  the  said  boundary  line  to  the  Tennessee  River,  thence  up 
the  same  to  the  mouth  of  Bear  Creek,  thence  by  a direct  line  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  county  of  Washington,  thence  due  south  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
thence  westwardly,  including  all  the  islands  within  six  leagues  of  the  shore, 
to  the  most  eastern  junction  of  Pearl  River  with  Lake  Borgne, thence  up  said 
river  to  the  31st  degree  of  north  latitude,  thence  west  along  the  said  degree  of 
latitude  to  the  Mississippi  River,  thence  up  the  same  to  the  beginning.” 

Winthrop  Sargent  received  his  appointment  as  first  Governor  of 
Mississippi  Territory  by  John  Adams,  President  of  the  United  States, 
in  1799.  He  was  succeeded  by  W.  C.  C.  Claiborne  in  1801.  Robert 
Williams  was  appointed  Governor  in  1805,  and  was  succeeded  by 
David  Holmes  in  1809. 

In  1820  an  act  was  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Mississippi 
to  incorporate  the  town  of  Holmesville.  An  election  was  held  and 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


27 


James  C.  Dickson,  Peter  Quin,  Jr.,  I.  Aiken,  Wiley  P.  Harris  and 
Major  Lea  were  chosen  trustees;  Buckner  Harris,  assessor,  collector 
and  town  constable,  and  William  Orr,  treasurer.  Previous  to  this, 
in  1819,  William  Dickson,  Peter  Quin,  Peter  Felder  and  Matthew 
McEwen  presided  as  justices  of  the  orphan’s  court,  which  had  juris- 
diction in  probate  matters.  In  1822  this  system  was  changed  by  the 
Legislature. 

Jeremiah  Bearden  and  Reddick  T.  Sparkman  constructed  a hotel 
in  Holmesville  and  operated  it  for  many  years;  also  Thomas  Guinea. 

Jack  Summers  owned  and  operated  a tan  yard  at  the  upper  part 
of  town  near  the  river  and  the  present  location  of  the  bridge. 

Following  is  a list  of  county  civil  officers  after  admission  of  the 
State  in  the  Union: 


PIKE  COUNTY  CIVIL  OFFICERS. 

1818. 


Names. 

Dates. 

Commissioned. 

James  Y.  McNabb 

. . . February  6 . . 

. .Chief  Justice  of  the  Quorum. 

Richardson  Bourman  . . . 

. . . February  6 . . 

. .Justice  of  the  Quorum. 

Peter  Quin,  Jr 

. . . February  6 . . 

. .Justice  of  the  Quorum. 

Laban  Bacot 

. . .February  6 . . 

. .Assessor  and  Collector. 

Benj.  Bagley 

. . . March  10 ...  . 

. .Chief  Justice  of  the  Quorum. 

Ralph  Stovall 

. . . April  10 

. . Justice  of  Peace. 

James  Baggett 

. . .April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

William  Carter 

. . . April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

Matthew  McEwen  

. . . April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

Nathaniel  Wills 

. . . April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

Nathan  Sims 

. . .April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

Thomas  Arthur 

. . .April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

Benj.  Morris 

. . .April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

William  Carter 

. . .April  10 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

Henry  Quin 

. . .April  10  . . . . 

. .Justice  of  Peace. 

Josiah  Martin 

. . . April  10  . . . . 

. .Justice  of  Peace  (resigned.) 

James  Gorden 

. . . April  10  . . . . 

. .Constable. 

Jessee  Craft 

. . . April  10  . . . . 

. .Constable. 

Am  Verdaman 

. . .April  10  . . . . 

. .Constable. 

Edward  Bullock 

. . . April  10  . . . . 

. .Constable. 

James  Legett 

. . .April  10  . . . . 

. .Constable. 

Henry  Hale 

. . Constable. 

Nathaniel  Gaugh 

. . . April  10  . . . . 

. .Constable. 

28 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Names. 

Dates. 

Commissioned. 

Thomas  Rouse 

. Constable. 

Henry  Goldman 

....  April  io 

. Constable. 

Joseph  C.  Smith 

....  April  io 

. Constable. 

Nathan  Morris 

....  April  12 

. Justice  of  Peace  and  Quorum. 

Wiley  P.  Harris 

....  May  i 

. Ranger. 

James  C.  Dickson 

....  May  i 

. County  Surveyor. 

David  Dickson 

....  May  i 

. Notary  Public  (resigned.) 

Peter  Quin 

■ • July  3 

. County  Treasurer. 

1819. 

Laban  Bacot 

....  January  19  . . 

. Assessor  and  Collector. 

Jesse  King 

....  February  6 . . 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Eleazer  Bell 

....  February  6 . . 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

William  Dickson 

....  February  20 . 

. Justice  of  Quorum. 

Peter  Felder,  Sr 

....  February  20 . 

. Justice  of  Quorum. 

Mathew  McEwen 

....  February  20  . 

. Justice  of  Quorum. 

Eleazer  Bell 

....  February  20  . 

. Justice  of  Quorum. 

Felix  Allen 

....  April  17 

. County  Treasurer. 

Leonard  Vamado 

....  April  17 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

John  Wilson 

....  April  17 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

William  Donohoe 

....  April  17 

. Constable. 

Simon  Osteen 

....  April  17 

. Constable. 

Henry  Goleman 

....  April  17 

. Constable. 

Buckner  Harris 

....  April  17 

. Constable. 

Nathaniel  Goff 

....  April  17 

. Constable. 

William  Norman 

....  April  17 

. Constable. 

James  C.  Dickson 

....  July  16 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Jesse  Harper 

• ■ • • July  16 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Philemon  Martin 

• ■ • ■ July  16 

Constable. 

Floyd  Williams 

July  16 

Constable. 

Zaccheus  Davis 

• ■ • • July  16 

Constable. 

Laban  Bacot 

....  August  14.... 

Sheriff. 

Peter  Quin,  Sr 

. . . . August  14  ...  . 

Coroner. 

Jesse  Craft 

. Constable. 

Thomas  Harvey 

. Constable. 

Abden  Taylor 

. . . . November  15 

. Constable. 

Laban  Bacot 

1820. 

. . . . February  3 . . . 

Assessor  and  Collector. 

Elbert  Burton 

Ranger. 

Jacob  I.  Pernell 

. . . . February  25 . . 

Constable. 

Samuel  Roberts 

. . . . February  25 . . 

Constable. 

Daniel  Thomas 

. . . . April  12 

Justice  of  Peace. 

HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


29 


Names. 

Dates. 

Commissioned 

Thomas  Rule 

. . . April  12 

Constable. 

James  C.  Breland 

. . . April  12 

Constable. 

Abden  Tyler 

. . . April  12 

Constable. 

Richard  Quin 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Jesse  Craft 

. . . October  7 . . . . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Elbert  Hines 

. . . October  7 ...  . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Derril  H.  Martin 

. . . October  7 ...  . 

Constable. 

William  Carter 

. . . October  7 ...  . 

Constable. 

Thompson  Wallace .... 

. . . October  7 ...  . 

Constable. 

1821 


Laban  Bacot 

. . January  3 . . . 

Assessor  and  Collector 

James  Y.  McNabb 

. . February  12 . . 

Justice  of  Quorum. 

Samuel  Higginbottom . . . 

. . May  30 

Ranger. 

James  Bridges 

. . May  30 

Constable. 

Thomas  Gatland 

. . May  30 

Constable. 

Laban  Bacot 

. . August  16  ...  . 

Sheriff. 

Josiah  B.  Harris 

. . August  16  ...  . 

Coroner. 

Richardson  Bowman . . . . 

. . October  19  . . . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

William  Prichard 

. . October  19  . . . 

Constable. 

Richard  Bowman 

. . November  29 

Judge  of  Probate. 

1822. 


Laban  Bacot 

. . January  14  . . 

. Assessor  and  Collector. 

James  Willing 

. . February  7 . . 

. Constable. 

Benjamin  Thomas,  Sr . . . 

. . February  7 . . 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Henry  Ouin 

. . February  7 . . 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

A.  M.  Perryman 

. . February  7 . . 

. County  Treasurer. 

Dorrel  Young 

. . February  7 . . 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Daniel  Felder 

. . February  7 . . 

. Constable. 

Thomas  Pleasant 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

David  Cleveland 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Nathaniel  Wells 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Thomas  Rule 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Jesse  King 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Nelson  Higginbottom . . . . 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Benjamin  Morgan 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

James  Waddle 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Drury  Chandler 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Malachi  Thomas 

. . April  26 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Edward  Bullock 

. . April  26 

. Constable. 

David  Cleveland 

. . January  19  . . 

. Judge  of  Probate. 

James  C.  Dickson 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

30 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Names. 

Dates. 

Commissioned. 

Vincent  Gamer 

. . . June  29 

Associate  Justice. 

Barnabas  Allen 

. . . June  29 

Associate  Justice. 

James  Y.  McNabb 

. . . September  19  . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Jesse  Harper 

. . . September  1 9 . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Peter  Quin,  Jr 

1823. 

. . . January  4 ...  . 

Judge  of  Probate. 

Laban  Bacot 

. . . January  15... 

Assessor  and  Collector. 

Robert  Love 

. . . January  22  . . 

Associate  Justice. 

Gorden  D.  Boyd 

. . . March  20 

County  Surveyor. 

Wiley  P.  Harris 

. . . March  20 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Thomas  Hart 

. . . March  20 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Daniel  Felder 

. . . March  20 

Justice  of  Peace. 

John  Black 

. . . March  20 

Ranger. 

John  Wilson 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Laban  Bacot 

Sheriff. 

Josiah  B.  Harris 

. . . August  25  ...  . 

Coroner. 

James  Roberts 

. . . September  1 7 . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Richard  Quin 

. . . September  1 7 . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Leroy  Tatum 

. . . September  1 7 . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Daniel  Quin 

. . . September  1 7 . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

James  Hope 

. . . September  1 7 . 

1824. 

. . . January  2c . . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Laban  Bacot 

Assessor  and  Collector. 

William  W.  Pearson  . . . . 

. . . March  16 

County  Surveyor.  . 

Henry  Richardson 

. . . March  16 

Justice  of  Peace. 

David  Bullock 

. . . March  16 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Robert  Love 

. . . June  8 

Judge  of  Probate. 

Nathaniel  Wells 

. . . June  8 

Associate  Justice. 

Peter  Quin,  Jr 

■ ■ June  23 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Jacob  Coon  

■ ■ ■ June  23 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Michael  Prescott 

. . . June  23 

1825. 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Robert  Love 

. . . January  is... 

Judge  of  Probate. 

William  Wilson 

. . . January  15... 

Associate  Justice. 

Peter  Quin 

. . . January  15  . . . 

Ranger. 

Laban  Bacot 

. . . February  5 . . . 

Assessor  and  Collector. 

Richard  Davidson 

. . . March  28 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Matthew  McEwen 

. . . March  28 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Thomas  Rule 

■ July  8 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Jacob  Owens 

. . . September  29  . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

James  Y.  McNabb 

. . . December  26  . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


31 


1826. 


Names. 

Dates. 

Commissioned. 

Laban  Bacot 

. . . . January  3~ • • ■ 

Assessor  and  Collector. 

Daniel  Sistrunk 

Justice  of  Peace. 

Davis  Barren 

Justice  of  Peace. 

John  Felder 

. . . . September  27  . 

Justice  of  Peace. 

1827. 


Laban  Bacot 

. . . February  4 . . 

. Assessor  and  Collector. 

William  Dickson 

. . . February  8 . . 

. Associate  Justice. 

Leroy  H.  Tatum 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Stephen  Ellis 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Daniel  Bullock 

. . . April  9 

. justice  of  Peace. 

James  Chamberlain  . . . . 

. . . April  9 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

James  Roberts 

. . . April  9 

justice  of  Peace. 

Thomas  Reaves 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

William  G.  Martin 

. . . April  9 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Peter  Quin 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Jacob  Coon  

. . . April  9 

justice  of  Peace. 

Jonathan  Carter 

. . . April  9 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

William  Carter 

. . . April  9 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

Peter  McDonald 

. . . April  9 

. Justice  of  Peace. 

The  act  of  Congress  providing  for  the  formation  of  the  Mississippi 
Territory  into  a State  government  was  passed  March  1,  1817,  fixing 
the  boundaries  of  said  State  and  providing  for  a convention  to  be 
held  by  the  people  to  frame  a constitution  which  was  to  assemble  in 
the  town  of  Washington  on  the  first  Monday  of  July,  1817. 

In  this  convention  Pike  County  was  represented  by  David  Dick- 
son, William  J.  Minton  and  James  Y.  McNabb. 

The  act  of  Congress  passed  April  7,  1798,  establishing  the  terri- 
torial government  of  Mississippi  provided  that  it  should  not  be  lawful 
for  any  person  or  persons  to  import  or  bring  into  said  Territory,  from 
any  port  or  place,  without  the  limits  of  the  United  States,  any  slave 
or  slaves,  under  penalty  of  $300  fine  and  the  freedom  of  every  such 
slave  or  slaves  thus  brought  in  from  foreign  ports. 

Under  the  laws  established  by  the  territorial  government  every 
free  male  person  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  fifty  years  were 
subject  to  military  duty,  and  every  militiaman  enrolled  for  service 


32 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


on  foot  was  required  to  furnish  himself  with  a musket  and  bayonet, 
cartridge  box  and  thirty  rounds  of  cartridges,  or  rifle  and  tomahawk, 
powder  horn  and  bullet  pouch,  with  one  pound  of  powder  and  four 
pounds  of  bullets,  six  flints,  priming  wires,  brushes  and  knapsacks. 
Each  horseman  was  required  to  furnish  himself  with  a sword,  one 
pistol,  twelve  rounds  of  cartridges,  three  flints,  a priming  wire,  small 
portmanteau,  and  such  other  arms  and  accoutrements  as  might  be 
directed  by  the  commander  in  chief. 

In  the  constitutional  convention  of  1832  Pike  County  was  repre- 
sented by  James  Y.  McNabb  and  Laban  Bacot. 

The  constitution  framed  then  changed  the  judiciary  system,  and 
gives  to  Mississippi  the  honor  of  being  the  leader  in  making  the 
judiciary  elective. 

A high  court  of  errors  and  appeals,  to  sit  twice  a year,  consisting 
of  three  judges,  elected  from  three  districts;  a circuit  court  held 
twice  a year  in  each  county,  a superior  court  of  chancery,  a probate 
court  and  board  of  police  for  each  county,  all  elected  by  the  people 
and  by  ballot. 

EARLY  HOME  LIFE. 

Home  life  in  Pike  County  in  its  early  settlement  and  for  a genera- 
tion after  was  simple  and  natural.  As  time  grew  apace  young  people 
grew  up,  formed  attachments  and  married,  then  selected  a suitable 
tract  of  land  and,  with  the  help  of  neighbors  and  friends,  constructed 
an  humble  pine-pole  hut  to  begin  life  with.  A little  patch  was  cleared 
for  a garden ; a few  chickens  that  the  old  folks  gave  them,  a pair  of 
pigs,  a heifer  or  cow  and  calf,  and  perhaps  a pony,  constituted  the 
bulk  of  personal  property.  The  bedstead  was  of  a home-made  pattern, 
framed  and  held  together  by  interlacing  quarter-inch  cotton  cords,  made 
by  hand  at  the  old  home,  which  constituted  the  bed-spring,  but  more 
often  it  was  framed  to  the  walls  in  one  corner  of  the  cabin,  and  made 
of  ordinary  split  timber.  A three-legged  griddle  to  cook  com  hoe- 
cakes  on,  a saucepan,  a common  frying  pan  and  a small  oven  to  bake, 
sufficed  for  the  kitchen  outfit.  A common  wooden  bench  and  a few 
three-legged  stools  would  do  to  sit  on  until  the  head  of  the  household 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


33 


could  manage  to  do  better.  The  lands  upon  which  they  settled  were 
public  property,  but  the  right  thus  secured  must  not  be  disturbed. 
Wash  basins,  water  buckets,  milk  piggins  and  well  buckets  were  made 
by  hand  in  the  shops  of  those  who  manufactured  the  reels,  spinning 
wheels  and  looms,  which  all  who  could  must  be  provided  with.  There 
were  no  allurements  beyond  the  environments  of  these  simple  homes 
to  distract  the  minds  of  the  beginners  of  farm  life,  and  their  thoughts 
and  energies  were  concentrated  on  the  development  and  strengthen- 
ing of  the  resources  acquired.  Love  in  its  primeval  purity,  strength- 
ened by  mutual  confidence,  with  radiant  hope  and  faith  in  the  Divine 
Ruler,  shone  with  resplendent  beauty.  The  young  husband,  with 
his  axe  and  his  rifle  on  his  shoulder,  his  clear  sounding  horn  swung  to 
his  side,  with  his  ever  attendant  faithful  dog,  went  about  his  duties 
with  self-confidence  and  a buoyant  heart.  The  young  wife,  with 
rosy  cheeks,  a loving  smile,  a happy  heart,  made  the  little  home  an 
Eden  of  joy  and  gave  strength  to  his  soul  in  the  battle  of  life.  They 
drank  from  the  sweetest  and  most  sparkling  fountains  the  inspirations 
that  cement  the  marriage  bonds.  On  Sunday,  hand  in  hand,  they 
could  walk  to  church  together  to  listen  to  the  exhortations  of  a pious 
neighbor  and  sing: 

“Jesus  my  all  to  heaven  is  gone, 

He  whom  I fix  my  hopes  upon.” 

The  little  pine-pole  meeting-house  was  good  enough  for  them. 
It  may,  however,  seem  very  simple  to  the  reader  of  the  present  day, 
who  has  known  only  the  comfort  and  luxuries  which  Wealth  brings, 
but  the  reader  of  to-day,  be  he  rich  or  poor,  whose  ancestors  belong 
to  America’s  past  history,  sprang  from  just  such  people  as  these,  living 
under  just  such  conditions. 

The  little  boys  that  went  ’possum  hunting  and  were  taught  to 
swim  and  to  ride  a horse  or  ox  and  use  the  rifle  and  the  shot  gun  were 
training  for  emergencies. 

In  all  ages  of  the  world  men  have  sprung  from  the  simplest  con- 
ditions of  life  when  stirring  events  called  them  into  action  and  reached 
the  acme  of  renown.  The  great  schools  might  prepare  some  for  high 

s 


34 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


stations  and  scientific  purposes,  but  there  must  be  those,  hardy  and 
strong,  who  can  clutch  the  cold  steel  with  a fearless  hand  and  dare 
death  in  any  form  when  necesssity  calls. 

The  ’possum  and  coon  hunters,  the  bear  trailers  and  trappers, 
the  grapplers  with  the  wolf  and  the  tiger  cat,  who  sprung  from  those 
hardy  and  brave  men  and  women  whose  names  adorn  the  pages  of 
this  work,  are  on  the  rolls,  and  they  are  there  to  tell  to  the  world, 
along  down  through  the  ages,  who  it  was  that  gave  to  the  pages  of 
their  country’s  history  a golden  glitter. 

From  King’s  Mountain  and  Valley  Forge,  from  Trenton  and  the 
Cowpens,  from  Bunker  Hill  and  Ticonderoga,  from  Jamestown  and  the 
Talapoosa,  the  blood  of  patriotism  was  transmitted  with  the  advancing 
years,  and  in  the  deep  wilderness  of  the  Territory  of  Mississippi  it 
was  made  healthy  and  strong  by  the  necessary  activities  and  rustic 
life  of  its  people.  The  great  body  of  the  pioneers  of  Pike  came  from 
revolutionary  sires,  schooled  in  the  science  of  Indian  fighting  and  the 
hardships  and  exposures  incident  to  camp  life,  the  hunt  for  wild  game, 
and  the  labor  of  their  farms.  They  had  inherited  the  characteristics 
of  their  fathers  and  mothers,  and  they  were  properly  qualified  to 
undertake  the  mission  of  establishing  new  homes  in  these  unbroken 
wilds  and  of  laying  the  foundation  of  a great  State  government. 

The  young  men  from  North  and  South  Carolina,  Georgia  and  else- 
where, offsprings  of  revolutionary  patriots  and  colonial  settlers, 
thought  nothing  of  putting  their  young  wives  on  horseback  or  taking 
it  afoot  with  their  few  belongings,  armed  with  combination  flint  and 
steel  shotgun-rifles,  and  tramping  it  hundreds  of  miles  through  the 
wilderness  to  the  Territory  of  Mississippi;  and  their  heroic  wives 
thought  less  of  the  dangers  and  hardships  to  be  encountered.  It  is 
this  sort  of  material  from  which  Mississippians  sprung,  and  it  is  this 
sort  of  blood  that  has  brought  lustre  to  her  name.  This  book  will 
tell  you  who  some  of  them  were,  men  and  women,  and  where  they 
settled  in  Pike  County. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


35 


CHAPTER  II. 

In  the  foregoing  chapter  an  outline  of  events  leading  down  to 
the  creation  and  political  organization  of  Pike  County  has  been  given. 

In  the  present  chapter  it  is  proposed  to  speak  more  directly  of 
some  of  the  families  that  immigrated  here  and  the  occupations 
engaged  in  in  the  early  settlements  on  the  different  streams.  It  is 
not  proposed  to  undertake  this  in  detail.  The  absence  of  records, 
and  even  tradition,  connected  with  many  of  the  original  settlers  who 
have  passed  out  of  memory  of  the  oldest  living  men  and  women  in 
the  county,  makes  it  impossible. 

In  1799  John  Warren  and  his  wife,  Priscilla,  settled  on  the  Otopasas 
(now  called  Topisaw)  below  the  junction  of  East  Fork  and  on  the  west 
side  of  the  stream.  This  property  was  acquired  by  Michael  Brent 
in  the  early  fifties  or  perhaps  before  1850.  He  sold  it  to  Owen  Conerly, 
and  from  his  widow  it  passed  to  and  through  other  hands  to  William 
Gamer.  There  he  constructed  a hewed  log  cabin  of  yellow  pine  and 
opened  a little  farm.  Tradition  tells  us  that  there  was  a small  open- 
ing here  when  Warren  came,  indicating  that  the  land  had  been  culti- 
vated many  years  before,  probably  by  Indians.  The  house  built  by 
him  is  on  the  place  yet  and  in  a fair  state  of  preservation.  A pecan 
tree,  said  to  have  been  planted  by  him,  which  has  been  in  bearing  for 
over  fifty  years,  is  a monarch  now,  the  oldest  and  largest  known  in 
Pike  County,  and  is  perhaps  the  first  pecan  tree  planted  in  the  county. 

Just  below  and  south  of  this  place  John  Taylor  settled,  probably 
near  the  same  time,  now  owned  by  S.  Cicero  Walker  The  original 
settlement  was  on  the  crest  of  a high  pine  ridge  overlooking  the  valley 
of  the  Otopasas.  Fifty  years  ago  it  had  grown  up  into  a wilderness 
again,  but  again  opened  and  put  in  cultivation. 

John  Warren  and  Priscilla  were  the  parents  of  Sally  Warren,  wife 
of  William  McCollough,  who  came  to  Pike  County  in  1814,  at  the  age 
of  fifteen.  His  father,  Alexander  McCollough,  came  from  Ireland 
into  Georgia.  His  wife  was  Miss  Marshall  from  Scotland. 

After  William  McCollough  married  Sally  Warren  they  settled  on 
Topisaw  and  became  the  parents  of  Winston,  Jasper,  Olive,  Sarah 
and  Melinda  McCollough. 


36 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Edwin  Alford  Was  bom  in  North  Carolina  in  1792,  and  after  his 
birth  his  parents  moved  to  Georgia,  where  he  remained  until  1807, 
when  he  came  to  the  Territory.  In  1818  he  married  Martha,  a daugh- 
ter of  Jeremiah  Smith,  and  settled  a place  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  in  the 
southern  portion  of  the  county.  They  raised  six  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters. Jeremiah  Smith  came  from  Lancaster  District,  South  Carolina, 
in  1808.  He  moved  in  a cart,  and  settled  on  a place  near  Dillontown, 


Iron  Bridge 

Scene  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  River 

where  Edwin  Alford  married  Martha.  He  was  the  father  of  Eli’ 
Edwin  and  Wyatt  Smith.  He  was  one  of  the  finest  mechanics  of  his 
time.  He  died  in  1843  at  'the  age  of  sixty-one.  When  these  people 
settled  here  they  had  to  travel  a distance  of  some  twenty  miles  to  a 
grist  mill,  located  near  where  the  town  of  Tangipahoa  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
now  stands,  to  get  their  com  ground  into  meal — near  where  Camp 
Moore  Was  located  during  the  Civil  War. 

Daniel  Sandell  was  the  son  of  Henry  Sandell  and  Catherine  Nobles, 
who  lived  in  Orangeburg  District,  South  Carolina,  where  he  was  bom 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


37 


in  1792.  In  1814  he  was  enlisted  in  Colonel  Nixon’s  regiment  of 
Mississippi  infantry,  which  was  ordered  to  Florida  to  reinforce  the 
army  engaged  against  the  Seminole  Indians  He  was  married  to 
Charity  Elenor  Corley,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Corley,  from  Barnwell 
District,  South  Carolina,  September  17,  1815,  a short  time  before  the 
creation  of  Pike  County,  and  in  1816  he  settled  on  the  well-known 
Sandell  place,  west  of  Magnolia.  He  was  the  father  of  Gabriel,  Walter, 
Rev.  John  Westley  Sandell,  Samuel  Murray  and  Monroe,  Mary  Ann 
and  Martha. 

Peter  Felder  settled  the  Vaughn  place,  near  Magnolia,  in  1811. 
A Methodist  Church  was  established  in  this  neighborhood,  and  in 
1810  the  first  Methodist  camp  meeting  was  held  here.  It  was  after- 
wards known  as  Felder’s  Church. 

A grist  mill  was  erected  across  Sweetwater,  a small  stream  empty- 
ing in  the  Bogue  Chitto  near  Walker’s  Bridge,  on  a farm  settled  by 
Daniel  Quin,  in  1810,  and  many  people  traveled  thirty  and  forty 
miles  to  it  to  have  their  com  ground  into  meal  for  bread. 

Daniel  Quin  was  a son  of  Peter  Quin,  Sr.,  who  came  to  Pike  County 
in  1812.  He  married  Kitty  Deer.  They  were  the  parents  of  Rodney, 
William  and  Frank,  and  Emily,  who  married  Jeremiah  Coney. 

In  1798  John  Barnes,  with  his  young  wife  and  little  daughter, 
Margaret,  then  only  a few  years  of  age,  emigrated  from  Georgia. 
They  took  passage  in  a large  dugout  which  he  constructed  out  of  a 
cypress  tree,  laonching  it  on  the  Cumberland  River  and  floating  down 
the  connecting  waters  into  the  Mississippi  River  and  landed  at  Natchez. 
Bames  was  an  accomplished  young  mechanic,  and  he  and  his  young 
wife  had  only  one  child,  little  Margaret,  then  only  five  or  six  years  of 
age.  They  wanted  to  come  to  the  far  West,  to  the  Mississippi  Terri- 
tory, of  which  he  had  heard  so  much,  to  settle  down  in  life  and  build 
themselves  a home.  He  cut  down  a big  cypress  tree,  dug  it  out  with 
his  adz  and  fashioned  it  and  launched  it  on  the  turbid  waters,  put 
all  his  belongings  in  it,  and  he  and  his  young  wife  and  little  Margaret 
took  passage  for  more  than  a thousand  miles  down  unknown  and 
perilous  streams.  With  his  trusty  rifle,  a brave  heart,  a loving,  heroic 
wife,  a sweet  little  child,  he  pushed  off  from  Georgia’s  shore  and 


38 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


paddled  on  down,  stopping  here  and  there  to  camp  over  night  under 
the  trees  or  to  kill  wild  game  to  supply  their  needs.  When  he  arrived 
at  the  head  of  Mussel  Shoals,  a very  dangerous  continuation  of  rapids 
for  a long  distance,  he  landed  his  dugout  and  was  visited  by  an  Indian, 
who  advised  him  not  to  undertake  to  shoot  the  rapids  with  his  wife 
and  child  in  the  boat,  that  there  was  a near  cut  by  a pathway  to  the 
river  below  the  rapids  which  they  could  take,  and  that  he  himself 
would  accompany  him  and  steer  the  boat  safely  through.  It  was 
already  late  in  the  evening,  but  Barnes  wished  to  pass  the  rapids  at 
once  while  he  had  the  Indian  to  help  him  through.  After  the  Indian 
had  directed  Mrs.  Barnes  how  to  go  they  pushed  out  to  make  the 
descent.  Night  had  overtaken  them,  and  when  they  arrived  at  the 
point  where  Barnes’  wife  was  to  meet  them  it  was  late  and  she  was 
not  there  and  failed  to  answer  to  his  call  or  the  sound  of  his  horn. 
The  Indian  then  explained  that  he  forgot  to  tell  her  the  path  forked, 
and  said  she  must  have  taken  the  wrong  direction  leading  out  into 
the  deep,  dark  wilderness,  which  proved  to  be  true.  Leaving  the 
Indian  in  care  of  his  boat,  Barnes,  with  his  gun,  his  horn  and  a torch, 
went  out  in  search  of  his  lost  wife  and  child.  Beating  back  on  the 
trail  as  directed  until  he  reached  the  one  the  Indian  surmised  his  wife 
had  taken,  he  pursued  that  for  a long  distance  until  at  length  he  found 
her  sitting  beneath  the  trees  with  her  little  child  hugged  up  in  her 
arms,  patiently  waiting  for  and  trusting  her  husband  to  rescue  them. 
When  they  returned  to  their  dugout  they  found  that  the  Indian  had 
stolen  much  of  their  valuables  and  fled.  In  due  course  of  time  Barnes 
with  his  little  family  arrived  safely  at  Natchez,  and  afterward  worked 
his  way  out  to  Beaver  Creek,  in  Amite  County,  where  he  remained 
for  awhile,  when  he  moved  to  Pike  County  and  settled  on  Union  Creek 
near  where  Union  Church  was  subsequently  erected.  He  built  a grist 
mill  over  Union  Creek  in  1813,  and  a ginning  and  carding  machine, 
to  prepare  rolls  for  the  spinning  wheel. 

It  is  a curious  fact,  that  104  years  after  Barnes’  novel  departure 
from  Georgia  his  romantic  adventure  should  be  recorded  by  this 
writer,  as  related  to  him  in  person  by  the  first  bom  son  of  little  Margaret, 
at  the  age  of  ninety  years,  and  within  a few  miles  of  where  he  was  born. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


39 


In  the  State  of  Tennessee  at  this  early  time  there  lived  a Widow 
Sartin,  who  had  a little  boy  named  John.  She  married  a man  named 
Lee,  and  they  moved  from  Tennessee  to  Amite  County  in  1810. 
Here  John  Sartin  met  little  Margaret  Barnes.  Their  associations  and 
friendship  ripened  into  love,  and  when  Margaret  Barnes  arrived  at 
the  age  of  seventeen  she  became  the  wife  of  young  John  Sartin.  They 
settled  in  the  woods  and  opened  a little  farm  on  Magees  Creek,  a few 
miles  south  of  China  Grove,  which  was  afterward  known  as  the 
Woodruff  place.  It  was  here  that  Major  Sartin,  their  first  son,  was 
bom,  November  28,  1812.  They  were  also  the  parents  of  William, 
Joseph,  Alfred,  John,  Leander  and  James  Sartin  and  Amanda,  wife 
of  Martin  P.  Roberts;  Helen,  wife  of  John  Boone,  and  Emily,  wife  of 
Jackson  Bearden. 

William  Fortinberry  came  from  Lancaster  District,  South  Carolina, 
and  settled  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  county  in  1819.  He 
died  in  1840,  leaving  six  sons  and  four  daughters.  One  of  his  sons, 
W.  J.  Fortinberry,  was  a Baptist  preacher  and  spent  his  life  in  that 
section  of  the  county  in  the  cause  of  the  Church.  Another  son,  G.  C. 
Fortinberry,  was  a member  of  the  9th  Mississippi  Regiment  of  United 
States  Militia,  under  Col.  Peter  Quin,  in  1825  and  1827.  Wyatt  Smith 
married  Eusaba  Fortinberry. 

John  Ellzey  came  from  Fairfield  District,  South  Carolina,  in  1817. 
He  married  Elizabeth  Coney,  daughter  of  Aquila  Coney  from  Georgia, 
in  1823  They  were  the  parents  of  Frank,  James,  William,  and  Daniel 
Ellzey.  His  second  wife  was  Indiana  Hall.  John  Ellzey  and  William 
Sibley  assisted  the  contractor,  Thomas  Tompkins,  to  build  the  first 
jail  erected  in  Holmesville.  Shortly  after  the  building  was  finished 
and  received  from  the  contractor,  Tompkins,  having  committed  some 
little  trivial  breach  of  the  peace,  was  the  first  to  be  locked  up  in  it. 

Thomas  Ellzey  was  the  third  son  of  Louis  Ellzey,  of  South  Carolina, 
and  came  to  Mississippi  in  1817.  He  married  Mary,  a daughter  of 
Daniel  Quin,  on  Sweetwater,  near  where  it  empties  into  Bogue  Chitto, 
at  Walker’s  Bridge,  in  1825.  He  settled  on  Leatherwood,  where  he 
raised  a large  family.  He  contracted  yellow  fever  in  1847  while  on 
a business  trip  to  Covington,  La.,  during  the  prevalence  of  an  epidemic, 


40 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  died  with  it  at  the  residence  of  Col.  Jesse  Thomas,  on  Leatherwood, 
before  he  could  be  conveyed  home.  He  was  a member  of  the  board  of 
police  for  many  years.  His  father,  Louis  Ellzey,  was  a full-fledged 
Englishman  of  the  noted  Ellzey  Cragg,  a mountain  point  in  England, 
and  his  mother  was  a full-blooded  German.  Her  name  was  E\  e Shaffer. 
They  met  in  South  Carolina  and  married,  then  immigrated  to  Pike 
County  and  first  settled  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  River  near  what  has 
been  known  as  Stalling’s  Ferry.  Thomas  Ellzey  and  Mary  Quin  were 
the  parents  of  Ross  A.,  Rankin  C.,  Wesley,  Jackson,  Mary,  Harriet, 
Caroline  Sarah,  Josephine,  Joan,  Courtney  and  Thomas.  The  Ellzeys 
sprung  from  good  fighting  stock  and  were  substantial  citizens  in  the 
early  history  of  the  county.  They  were  brave,  hardy,  industrious 
men  and  women,  accumulators  of  wealth  and  could  always  be  depended 
on  in  times  of  peril  and  emergencies.  Ross  A.  Ellzey,  the  elder  of 
the  sons  of  Thomas  Ellzey  and  Mary  Quin,  was  bom  on  the  20th  of 
June,  1826,  and  received  his  education  in  the  common  neighborhood 
schools  of  the  county.  At  the  age  of  twenty-six  he  married  Amanda 
Booker,  a daughter  of  James  and  Mary  Booker,  of  Clinton,  La.,  and 
a graduate  of  the  Silliman  Institute  of  that  place.  In  1848  he  was 
chosen  as  a delegate  to  represent  Pike  County  in  a railroad  convention 
held  in  New  Orleans,  which  was  the  beginning  of  the  agitation  of  the 
question  of  the  constitution  of  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & Great 
Northern  Railroad.  In  the  fall  of  1853  he  was  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Mississippi  and  remained  a member  of  that  body  until  he 
was  succeeded  by  Levi  Bacot  in  1856.  He  settled  the  old  Deer  place 
on  Magees  Creek  and  pursued,  principally,  the  occupation  of  a farmer. 
He  became  one  of  the  charter  members  of  the  Magees  Creek  Lodge, 
F.  & A.  M.,  No.  282,  in  1866.  He  taught  school  in  his  young  days 
and  was  for  some  years  a member  of  the  board  of  school  directors, 
with  Henry  Badon,  William  Hoover  and  George  W.  Simmons.  The 
other  children  of  Thomas  Ellzey  and  Mary  Quin  married  as  follows: 
Rankin  C.  to  Mary  Thompson,  daughter  of  Hugh  Thompson; 
Wesley  to  Margaret  Brumfield,  daughter  of  Isaac  Brumfield;  Caroline 
to  Dr.  James  H.  Laney;  Harriet  to  Morgan  Coney;  Sarah  to  Samuel 
McNulty;  Josephine  to  Elisha  C.  Andrews;  Joan  to  Simeon  R.  Ratliff ; 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


41 


Courtney  to  William  Badon ; Jackson  to  Mary  Felder;  Mary  to  Joseph 
O’Mara,  deputy  sheriff  under  Parham  B.  Williams  in  1848.  Thomas 
died  early. 

William  Simmons  came  from  Georgia  and  settled  on  Balachitto 
in  1809.  He  married  Nancy  Hope,  daughter  of  James  Hope,  who 
settled  there  about  the  same  time.  From  them  came  Solomon  and 
Cyrus  Simmons.  He  was  captain  of  a militia  company,  and  in  1846 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature  with  Ephriam  Rushing. 

Willis  Simmons  came  from  Georgia  with  his  wife,  Jane  Goslin, 
in  1810,  and  settled  on  Bogue  Chitto  below  Walker’s  Bridge.  Their 
children  were  Mason,  William  (Black  Bill),  Willis,  Richard,  George, 
Jackson,  Narcissa  and  Holly.  “Black  Bill”  Simmons  married  Nancy 
Rymes,  daughter  of  William  Rymes  and  Nancy  Hogg,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  Calvin  Simmons. 

Joseph  Barr  came  from  South  Carolina  in  1802.  His  wife  was 
Eliza  Mellard,  daughter  of  Joseph  Mellard,  near  Monticello  in  Laurence 
County.  They  settled  on  Magees  Creek  in  the  China  Grove  neighbor- 
hood. They  were  the  parents  of  William  A.,  Thaddeus  H.  S.,  James 
A.,  R.  Wesley,  Thomas  M.,  and  Annor,  wife  of  Wm.  B.  Lignon,  Jr., 
Caroline,  wife  of  Wiley  Elliott,  and  Amanda,  wife  of  Dewitt  Ellzey. 

Peter  Felder  came  from  Barnwell  District,  South  Carolina,  in 
1811,  and  settled  what  is  known  as  the  Vaughn  place  near  Magnolia. 
As  previously  stated,  he  was  one  of  the  commissioners  appointed  by 
the  Governor,  under  acts  of  December  9,  1815,  to  select,  procure 
and  fix  the  permanent  seat  of  justice  of  Pike  County.  He  filled  the 
position  of  one  of  the  justices  of  the  Orphan’s  Court  along  with  William 
Dickson,  Peter  Quin  and  Matthew  McEwen,  which  had  jurisdiction 
in  probate  matters.  He  was  the  father  of  John  Felder,  who  was  bom 
in  Barnwell  District,  South  Carolina,  in  1793,  and  married  Elizabeth 
Sandell,  near  Felder’s  Church,  October  15,  1812.  They  were  the 
parents  of  Mary  Catherine,  who  married  Seaborn  Alford,  and  Wyatt 
Westley,  Elizabeth  G.  Gabriel  Nally,  Levi  Darius,  Robert  Henry  and 
Simeon  Noble.  John  Felder  was  a leading  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church.  In  1840  he  settled  a farm  on  Topsiaw  and  in  company  with 
Christian  Hoover,  Hardy  Thompson,  David  Winbome,  Matthew 


42 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


McEwen,  Samuel  Whitworth,  Archie  McEwen  and  Silas  Catchings, 
in  1843,  established  the  Topisaw  Camp  Grounds.  In  1846  he  had  a 
water-mill  constructed  over  Topisaw — upright  saw,  grist  and  cotton 
gin,  near  the  camp  grounds,  under  the  supervision  of  Luther  Smith, 
assisted  by  his  sons,  Levi  and  Robert.  He  and  his  wife  were  deeply 
devoted  to  their  religion,  and  to  them  the  community  owed  much  in 
the  upbuilding  of  the  Methodist  denomination  and  maintenance  of 
the  church  and  camp  meetings  held  there.  Their  sons  and  daughters 
were  all  Christian  people  of  the  same  faith. 

Alexander  McCollough  emigrated  from  Ireland  to  Georgia.  His 
wife  was  a Miss  Marshall  from  Scotland.  They  were  the  parents  of 
William  McCollough,  who  came  to  Pike  County  in  1814  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  married  Sally  Warren  and  settled  on  Topisaw.  From  them 
sprung  the  McCollough  family:  Winston,  Benjamin,  Jasper,  Olive, 
Melinda  and  Sarah. 

Matthew  and  Archie  McEwen  came  from  Carolina  in  1800  and 
settled  on  Topisaw.  James,  a son  of  Matthew,  married  Nancey  Barnes, 
widow  of  John  Barnes,  who  Was  once  probate  judge  of  Pike  County. 
Nancey  was  a Bearden  before  she  married  John  Barnes  and  was  the 
mother  of  Pinkney  and  W.  Clinton  Barnes. 

John  Walker  was  a native  of  Virginia,  bom  in  1785.  He  emigrated 
to  Georgia  and  married  Sarah  Gates,  who  was  bom  in  1790.  They 
emigrated  to  the  Mississippi  Territory  in  1814  and  settled  on  Topisaw. 
They  were  the  parents  of  Jeremiah,  William,  John  E.,  David  C., 
Augustus,  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  Zebiah,  Martha  and  Elisha  Walker. 

John  E.  Walker  was  bom  January  28,  1815,  the  year  after  his 
parents  came  from  Georgia,  and  was  the  first  child  of  the  Walker 
family  bom  in  Pike.  His  brother,  William,  married  Ruth  Harvey, 
daughter  of  Michael  Harvey,  who  settled  on  Pearl  River  in  Marion 
County  in  1808,  where  Daniel  Harvey  was  born  in  1812. 

There  was  a William  Walker  who  settled  on  Silver  Creek  in  the 
southern  portion  of  the  county,  who  was  a cabinet  maker,  not  related 
to  the  Topisaw  family.  He  came  from  Georgia  and  married  Jane 
Duncan,  a daughter  of  Cullen  Duncan  and  Fanny  Conerly,  subse- 
quently wife  of  Elijah  Tumage.  The  following  are  the  names  of 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


their  children:  Martha  Ann,  who  first  married  her  cousin,  James 
Duncan,  and  becoming  a widow  married  John  Cothem;  Sarah  Jane, 
who  remained  single;  Barbara,  who  married  John  Estess;  Pollie 
died  early;  Annie,  who  married  William  Rushing;  Levisa,  who  mar- 
ried Charlie  Rainey;  Margaret,  who  married  Harper  Gamer,  son  of 
Calvin  Gamer  and  Ruhamie  Ward  of  Laurence  County,  from  South 
Carolina;  Cornelius,  who  married  Nannie  Boone,  daughter  of  Skinner 
Boone;  Wesley, . 

This  William  Walker’s  elder  daughters  became  expert  in  their 
father’s  trade,  being  his  only  help.  Sarah  Jane  never  married  and 
gave  her  entire  time  to  her  father  in  the  workshop,  where  they  made 
spinning  wheels,  reels,  looms,  chairs  and  other  articles  of  furniture 
by  hand  and  with  the  use  of  a turning  lathe  run  by  water  power,  milk 
piggins,  water  buckets,  chums,  etc.  Much  of  the  furniture  manu- 
factured by  them  has  been  in  use  seventy-five  years.  A small  arm- 
chair, with  a rawhide  bottom,  made  of  white  hickory,  bought  from 
them  for  the  writer  in  1846  is  yet  in  use  and  well  preserved. 

Roda  Walker  married  Nathaniel  Wells,  being  his  second  wife. 
He  was  major  of  a regiment  during  the  Florida  War.  His  father, 
Thomas  Wells,  belonged  to  the  colonial  revolutionists,  and  was  killed 
in  the  memorable  battle  of  Kings  Mountain,  North  Carolina,  in  1780, 
where  the  English  General  Ferguson  was  defeated,  killed,  and  his 
entire  force  captured  after  a most  gallant  and  sanguinary  conflict 
with  the  mountaineer  forces  under  the  gallant  commands  of  Cols. 
Campbell,  Shelby,  Sevier,  McDowell,  Cleveland,  Williams  and  Winston, 
which  turned  the  tide  of  the  revolutionary  war  in  favor  of  the  strug- 
gling Americans,  of  which  Jefferson  said:  “It  was  the  joyful  enuncia- 
tion of  that  turn  in  the  tide  of  success  that  terminated  the  Revolution- 
ary War  with  the  seal  of  our  independence.”  And  Daniel  Webster 
said:  “When  to  be  patriotic  was  to  endanger  business  and  homes 
and  wives  and  children  and  to  be  ready  also  to  pay  for  the  reputation 
of  patriotism  by  the  sacrifice  of  blood  and  life.” 

It  will  be  seen  in  future  pages  how  these  eloquent  words  spoken 
by  these  master  minds  connected  with  a government  these  illustrious 
southern  patriots  fought  so  hard  and  heroically  to  establish,  will 


44 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


apply  to  their  descendants  eighty  years  after  this  glorious  victory 
at  Kings  Mountain. 

With  Rhoda  Walker,  Wells  had  two  sons,  Eleazor  and  James,  and 
two  daughters,  Rhoda  and  Elizabeth. 

William  Cothem  married  Nancey  Gates,  from  Georgia,  and  settled 
the  Tumipseed  place  on  the  east  side  of  Topisaw,  five  miles  north  of 
Holmesville,  in  1815.  They  were  the  parents  of  Elijah  Cothem,  who 
married  Cathorine  Dunaway,  daughter  of  Johnathan  Dunaway,  and 
they  were  the  parents  of  John,  Joseph  and  William  Cothem.  One 
of  the  first  grist  mills  ran  by  water  power  built  in  Pike  County  was 
constructed  across  Carters  Creek  on  the  plantation  owned  by  John 
Cothem,  which  was  settled  by  John  Carter,  one  of  the  earliest  settlers, 
from  whom  this  creek  took  its  name. 

Tumipseed,  above  mentioned,  married  Miss  Brent,  daughter  of 
John  Brent,  sister  of  John  A.,  William,  Mike  and  Jacob.  He  was  a 
large  slave  owner  and  worked  them  in  the  production  of  cotton.  He 
was  a man  of  fine  intellectual  qualities.  His  children  with  Miss  Brent 
were  Laura,  who  married  Ben.  Briley;  Clifton,  who  married  Miss 
Ada  Marshal,  whose  father  settled  in  Holmesville  after  the  Civil  War 
and  was  a lawyer;  Harris,  who  became  a dentist;  Berkley,  who  mar- 
ried Mary  Huffman. 

Lazarus  Reeves  came  from  South  Carolina  and  settled  on  Clear 
Creek  in  1811.  This  little  stream  rises  west  of  Summit,  running  in 
an  eastern  direction,  emptying  into  Bogue  Chitto  near  the  plantation 
of  Laban  Bacot.  Lazarus  Reeves  was  the  father  of  John  Reeves,  who 
settled  on  Clear  Creek  in  1812,  and  Alfred  Reeves,  who  settled  on 
Topisaw,  and  Zachariah  Reeves,  Baptist  preacher. 

The  Bogue  Chitto  Baptist  Church  was  constituted  and  located  on 
a place  subsequently  owned  by  Alex.  McMorris,  on  the  Bogue  Chitto 
River,  on  the  31st  day  of  October,  1812,  by  Lazarus  Reeves,  Annis 
Dillon,  Priscilla  Warren,  Sarah  Norman,  John  Brent,  Sr.,  William 
Denman,  John  Warren,  Sarah  Thompson,  Sarah  Denman  and  David 
McGraw.  This  church  was  afterwards  moved  to  Carters  Creek,  and 
Zachariah  Reeves  was  connected  with  it  during  his  lifetime.  He 
was  a man  who  wielded  a great  influence  over  the  followers  of  his 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


45 


faith.  He  was  contemporaneous  with  Rev.  Jesse  Crawford  of  Silver 
Creek  and  Rev.  Wm.  J.  Fortinberry  at  New  Zion.  They  were  not 
educated  men.  Their  learning  came  from  the  common  schools  of 
the  community,  such  as  could  be  afforded  by  the  pioneer  fathers  and 
by  a faithful  and  sincere  study  of  the  holy  scriptures  and  the  inspira- 
tion that  sprung  from  the  rugged  experiences  of  their  time,  and  they 
were  regarded  by  those  who  adhered  to  their  faith  and  followed  in  the 
footsteps  of  their  teachings  as  men  of  power — plain,  homespun  leaders 
and  teachers  of  God’s  word,  who  could  touch  up  their  followers  and 
bring  them  to  the  foot  of  the  Cross  in  this  interior  wilderness  and  make 
them  children  of  the  Messiah.  In  those  days  their  church  houses 
were  mostly  built  of  round  pine  poles  or  hewn  logs,  and  the  people 
wore  plain  clothes.  The  women  went  to  church  in  calico  and  home- 
spun  dresses,  and  wore  their  fly  bonnets,  and  the  old  grandmother's 
their  frilled  caps  and  specks,  and  the  young  girls  thought  themselves 
lucky  to  be  decked  off  on  meeting  days  with  a few  red  ribbons.  There 
was  no  butterfly  flutter  nor  makeup  of  the  rouge  and  the  kid  glove. 
A little  cinnamon  sometimes,  when  it  could  be  had,  constituted  the 
main  article  of  perfumery,  and  they  were  often  glad  to  get  that,  as 
an  attractive  feature.  Their  splendid  beauty,  in  these  healthful  pine 
woods  regions,  was  a gift  of  nature  from  nature’s  God.  They  inherited 
from  their  mothers  and  grandmothers  all  the  attributes  of  fortitude, 
patience,  industry  and  loving  kindness;  and  they  grew  up  as  women 
worthy  indeed  to  become  the  mothers  of  the  young  heroes  who  served 
under  the  Southern  Cross,  led  by  such  men  as  commanded  the  Con- 
federate forces  in  the  great  Civil  War. 

And  it  might  be  well  for  the  present  day  generation  of  young  men 
and  women  to  profit  by  learning  more  of  the  early  training  and  the 
chivalrous  manhood  and  womanhood  that  stepped  so  proudly  forth 
in  the  early  sixties  to  bear  the  brunt  of  one  of  the  most  stupendous 
conflicts  against  overwhelming  odds  known  in  the  annals  of  war. 
They  got  their  early  training,  from  an  educational  and  religious  point, 
in  these  little  log  cabin  school  houses  and  churches. 

John  Reeves  was  the  father  of  Jesse,  William  E.,  Elijah  and 
Warren,  and  Leah,  wife  of  William  Williams;  Lenora,  wife  of  Jasper 


46 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


McCollough ; Jane,  wife  of  Pink  Cole,  and  Mary,  who  lost  her  first 
husband,  Ruben  Williams,  in  the  Confederate  Army,  subsequently 
wife  of  David  Forest.  At.  the  compilation  of  these  notes  in  1902, 
Wm.  E.  Reeves,  then  eighty  years  of  age,  possessed  and  exhibited 
to  the  writer  a photographic  group  of  the  above-named  four  brothers 
and  sisters,  all  living. 

Edward  Gatlin  settled  a place  on  Clear  Creek  a short  distance 
above  its  intersection  with  the  Bogue  Chitto  River  in  1815  and  built 
a mill  over  it  which  was  run  by  water  power.  The  plantation  is  now 
occupied  by  John  Thompson.  The  spot  where  the  present  residence 
stands  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  in  that  section  of  the  county. 

Col.  James  Gatlin  was  a son  of  Edward  and  Elizabeth  Gatlin,  who 
emigrated  to  Pike  County  in  1812  from  South  Carolina.  He  married 
Rosalba  Wells,  a daughter  of  Nathaniel  Wells,  one  of  the  colonial 
soldiers  of  the  Revolution,  of  Kings  Mountain  fame,  and  his  wife, 
Elizabeth,  also  from  South  Carolina.  They  were  married  at  the  old 
Wells  homestead,  south  of  Johnston  Station,  in  1831.  Their  children 
were:  Julia;  Zebulon  B.  Gatlin,  who  married  Martha  Hoover;  Eliza- 
beth Gatlin,  who  married  Dr.  Germany;  Mary  Gatlin,  who  married 
Mr.  Anderson;  *John  B.  Gatlin,  Lieut.,  who  married  Amanda  H. 
Strickland.  Ebenezer  Gatlin  commanded  Summit  Rifles,  at  Blood 
Angle,  battle  of  Spottsylvania,  Virginia,  May  12,  1864,  mortally 
wounded;  Thomas  Gatlin,  died  in  Confederate  war  service;  Nathaniel 
W.  Gatlin;  William  Gatlin. 

The  following  persons  settled  homes  along  Clear  Creek  and  Bogue 
Chitto  between  1810  and  1818: 

William  and  David  Bullock,  in  1812;  I.  N.  Simms,  L.  Leggett, 
B.  Gatlin,  Ezra  Estiss,  T.  Gatlin,  R.  Williams,  N.  Williams,  E.  John- 
son,W.  McNulty,  Michael  McNulty,  in  1816;  J.  McNulty,  in  1811; 
David  Cleveland,  Vincent  Gamer,  J.  Andrews,  W.  Andrews,  David 
McGraw  and  Robert  Love,  in  1811;  A.  King  settled  a part  of  the 
Hardy  Thompson  plantation  in  1811;  David  Cleveland,  on  what  is 
yet  known  as  the  Cleveland  place,  in  1811 ; J.  Denman  and  R.  Hamil- 


*See  Dixie  Guards. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


47 


ton,  in  1815;  C.  Ryals,  1817;  Peter  Quin,  Sr.,  on  section  22,  in  1813; 
Peter  Quin,  Jr.,  in  1817. 

The  lives  of  these  men  and  their  descendants  were  closely  asso- 
ciated with  all  that  section  of  the  county  between  Holmesville  and 
the  northern  boundary  of  the  county  on  both  sides  of  the  Bogue  Chitto 
River  and  along  Clear  Creek.  B.  Jones  settled  on  Clabber  Creek. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  writer,  though  using  great  efforts,  has 
failed  to  obtain  better  information  regarding  their  families.  Many 
of  them  were  prominent  in  political  affairs  of  the  county.  Michael 
McNulty  erected  a mill  across  Clear  Creek  at  the  same  spot  where 
Stuart’s  mill  now  stands.  He  was  the  father  of  William  and  Sam 
McNulty,  of  whom  more  will  be  said  further  on  in  this  work. 

Laban  Bacot  was  bom  April  23,  1776,  in  South  Carolina,  and 
married  Mary  Letman  in  1797.  They  emigrated  from  South  Carolina 
to  the  Mississippi  Territory  in  1807,  coming  down  the  Cumberland, 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers  to  Natchez  and  settled  on  Beaver  Creek, 
in  Amite  County.  They  subsequently  settled  on  the  Tansopiho,  near 
where  ChataWa  now  stands.  He  was  the  son  of  Samuel  Bacot,  who 
was  bom  in  1745  and  married  Margaret  Alston.  To  them  Were  bom 
Samuel,  Susana,  Elizabeth,  Maria  Louisa  and  Mary  Lucinda.  His 
wife,  Mary,  died  in  1812,  and  he  then  married  Margaret  M.  Love, 
April  23,  1822,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  Lorinda,  wife  of  Joe 
Tuff  Martin;  Robert,  Levi,  William,  Adam  Bacot  and  Julia;  also 
Rachael,  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  1817  Mississippi  was  admitted  as  a State  in  the  Union,  and 
David  Holmes,  who  had  served  as  Governor  since  1809,  was  elected 
Governor  by  vote  of  the  people.  Laban  Bacot  was  elected  at  this 
time  Sheriff  of  Pike  County,  succeeding  David  Cleveland,  who  had 
held  that  position  since  the  organization  of  the  municipal  government 
of  the  county.  It  has  often  been  erroneously  stated  that  Laban 
Bacot  was  the  first  sheriff  of  Pike  County.  Under  the  territorial 
government  David  Cleveland  was  selected  and  commissioned  as  sheriff 
upon  the  organization  of  Pike  County  and  served  as  such  until  the 
State  was  admitted  into  the  Union,  in  1817,  when  there  was  a general 
election  held  and  Laban  Bacot  was  the  first  elected  sheriff  of  the  county 


48 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


after  the  State’s  admission  into  the  Union.  During  his  incumbency 
he  lived  on  a little  farm  seven  miles  north  of  Holmesville,  on  one  of 
the  small  tributaries  of  Clear  Creek.  There  being  no  public  office 
buildings  in  Holmesville,  he  constructed  an  office  on  his  farm,  of 
peeled  yellow  pine  poles,  notched  together  and  hewed  down  on  the 
sides,  which  he  used  as  the  sheriff’s  office,  being  the  first  one  built 
for  that  purpose  in  the  county.  This  little  log  cabin,  the  first  sheriff’s 
office  erected  in  the  county,  is  yet  standing  in  the  yard  on  the  planta- 
tion he  subsequently  settled  on  Clear  Creek  above  its  junction  with 
Bogue  Chitto,  owned  by  his  son,  Levi,  and  is  in  a good  state  of  preser- 
vation. Laban  Bacot-was  re-elected  in  1821  and  served  continuously 
until  1826,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  T.  Norman. 

During  Bacot’s  term  the  whipping-post  law  Was  in  vogue,  and  it 
sometimes  became  his  duty  to  execute  the  sentence  imposed,  and  if 
the  judge  thought  the  case  an  aggravated  one  he  would  order  the 
sheriff  to  “have  it  well  laid  on.” 

On  one  occasion  while  court  Was  in  session  a disturbance  occurred 
at  a whisky  shop  (then  called  grocery)  near-by, and  the  judge  ordered 
the  offender  to  be  brought  into  court.  He  was  materially  intoxicated 
and  incapable  of  self-locomotion,  and  the  sheriff  returned  without 
him.  The  judge  again  ordered  that  he  be  brought  into  court.  Bacot 
ordered  Parish  Thompson,  a powerful  man  with  a loud,  coarse  voice, 
to  bring  him  in.  Thompson  shouldered  the  fellow,  packed  him  into 
the  courtroom  and  piled  him  over  in  front  of  his  honor,  at  the  same 
time  saying,  “Where  will  you  have  him,  jedge?”  There  was  a law 
in  force  at  this  time  which  read  as  follows:  “Any  person  who  shall 
break  into  any  house  in  the  night  time  with  the  intent  to  take,  steal 
or  carry  away  any  property  therein,  shall  be  adjudged  guilty  of  bur- 
glary, and  upon  conviction  thereof  shall  suffer  death.”. 

There  was  a little  oak  tree  standing  near  the  southeast  comer  of 
the  public  square  which  was  used  by  Sheriff  Bacot  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duties  as  a whipping-post.  This  tree  acquired  the  name  of  “Widow 
Phillips,”  as  a man  by  that  name  Was  the  first  to  be  tied  to  it  and 
receive  a dressing  with  the  official  cat-’o-nine  tails,  for  the  commission 
of  some  trivial  offense. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


49 


“Widow  Phillips”  grew  large  and  strong  and  got  to  be  a giant 
oak,  spreading  its  massive  branches  far  out,  affording  a splendid  shade 
in  after  years  for  those  in  attendance  on  court.  It  lived  to  be  a 
hundred  years  old  and  then  died,  and  in  1902  it  lay  prone  upon  the 
earth,  cut  down  by  the  axman.  Thus  passed  away  the  last  relic  of 
the  whipping-post  of  Pike  County. 

Jeremiah  and  Sire  Magee  settled  on  Collins  and  Magees  Creeks 
near  the  junction  of  the  two  streams  in  1811.  About  this  time,  or 
perhaps  earlier,  Dickey  Magee  built  a grist  mill  over  Collins  Creek  a 
little  above  the  ford  where  the  Monticello  and  Covington  road  crosses 
it.  Portions  of  the  foundation  of  this  mill  can  yet  be  seen  at  times. 
It  has  been  observed  that  under  certain  actions  of  the  water  there  is 
a deposit  of  earth  which  hides  if  trom  view;  then  again,  the  deposit 
is  removed  and  the  foundation  is  visible.  When  a small  boy  the 
writer  crossed  this  ford  and  saw  the  water  pouring  in  limpid  beauty 
off  the  old  foundation.  Fifty-two  years  later  he  visited  this  spot  and 
saw  portions  of  the  foundation  still  preserved  and  uncovered  by  the 
earth  though  under  water.  Some  years  after  this  mill  went  to  decay 
another  one  was  constructed  some  distance  above  it  at  a more  eligible 
place  with  higher  and  narrower  banks.  These  old  mill  ponds  have 
grown  up  with  large  trees  and  where  the  upper  mill  stood  a hill  has 
been  formed  by  the  accumulation  of  alluvial  thrown  up  by  frequent 
high  floods  of  water  coming  down  from  the  cultivated  lands  and  hills 
above. 

William  Willis  Magee,  a brother  of  Sire  and  Jeremiah,  was  one  of 
the  first  Baptist  preachers  coming  to  this  country  from  South  Caro- 
lina. Josiah  Magee  settled  on  Dry  Creek  opposite  the  town  of  Tyler- 
town. 

Josiah  Martin  and  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Glass,  came  from  North 
Carolina  and  settled  on  Big  Tonsopiho,  where  Joseph  T.  Martin  (known 
as  Joe  Tuff)  was  bom,  April  13,  1812.  He  always  claimed  to  be  the 
first  boy  child  bom  in  Pike  County.  The  fact  is  he  was  not  bom  in 
Pike  County,  but  in  Marion  County,  because  there  was  no  such  a 
county  as  Pike  when  Joe  Tuft  was  bom.  Major  Sartin  was  close  after 

him,  for  he  was  born  on  Magees  Creek  November  28th,  of  the  same 

4 


50 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


year.  It  was  about  three  years  after  these  remarkable  events,  1815, 
before  Marion  County  had  this  valuable  and  historical  territory 
plucked  from  her  great  body.  At  any  rate,  be  it  said  to  his  honor, 
Joe  Tuff  was  bom  in  that  portion  of  Marion  County  which  became  a 
part  of  Pike.  There  were  three  other  brothers,  sons  of  Josiah  Martin 
and  Elizabeth  Glass:  Wm.  G.  Martin,  who  married  Sally  Wicker; 
James  B.  Martin,  who  married  Mary  Pearson ; Jack  Martin,  who  lived 
and  died  a bachelor;  and  Eliza  R.  Martin,  who  married  John  McNabb, 
leaving  no  issue. 

Joe  Tuff  married  Lorinda  Bacot,  daughter  of  Laban  Bacot,  the 
sheriff,  with  whom  he  raised  a large  family  of  children.  Joe  settled 
down  to  farming,  was  a “hale  fellow,  well  met,”  and  often  a con- 
spicuous figure  on  public  occasions;  a good-hearted  man  and  a pros- 
perous farmer  and  citizen. 

THE  MC  MORRIS  FAMILY. 

It  has  previously  been  stated  in  this  chapter  that  the  Bogue  Chitto 
Baptist  Church  was  constituted  and  located  on  Bogue  Chitto  on  a 
plantation  owned  by  Alexander  McMorris.  There  were  two  by  this 
name,  Alexander,  Sr.,  and  Alexander,  Jr. 

The  elder  Alexander  McMorris  was  from  Scotland.  His  wife, 
Elizabeth  Baxter,  was  also  from  Scotland.  They  emigrated  to 
America  and  were  married  in  Edgefield  District,  South  Carolina,  at 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  where  they  lived  until  their 
children  were  nearly  all  grown,  when  they  came  to  Mississippi  and 
settled  in  Amite  County.  Alexander  McMorris,  Jr.,  was  their  son. 

Joseph  Herrington,  of  Irish  descent,  and  Anne  Brown,  of  English 
parentage,  were  married  in  Sumpter  District,  South  Carolina,  where 
all  their  children  were  bom.  They  then  moved  to  Tennessee,  where 
both  died,  after  which  their  children  moved  to  Mississippi  and  also 
settled  in  Amite  County.  Among  these  children  was  Esther  Herring- 
ton, who  became  the  wife  of  Alexander  McMorris,  Jr.,  in  1842,  and 
in  1843  he  bought  the  place  on  Bogue  Chitto,  where  the  church  was 
organized  in  1812,  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  in  1850. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


51 


Alexander  MeMorris,  Jr., 
and  Esther  Herrington  had 
two  children:  Richard  H. 

McMorris,who  married  Mag- 
gie Jones,  and  Esther  Ann 
MeMorris,  who  married  Isaac 
Charles  Dick. 

After  the  death  of  her 
husband,  Mrs.  Alexander 
MeMorris  married  Wesley  H. 

Thomas,  and  they  were  the 
parents  of  Mary  M.  Thomas, 
who  married  William  Powell ; 

Baxter  Thomas,  who  married 
Ettie  Norell,  of  Jackson, 

Miss.,  and  WesleyA. Thomas, 
who  married  Miss  Willie 
Smith,  of  Vicksburg,  Miss. 

Baxter  Thomas  was  the 
first  white  child  bom  in  the 
town  of  Summit. 

Alexander  MeMorris,  Jr., 
had  a sister  named  Nancy, 
wife  of  Hardy  Thompson, 
who  lived  east  of  Bogue 
Chitto  on  the  road  leading  to 
Holmesville,  and  was  a large  slave  owner  and  cotton  planter. 

Isaac  Charles  Dick,  who  married  Esther  Ann  MeMorris,  was  a 
son  of  Jacob  Dick,  who  was  bom  in  Switzerland  and  emigrated  to 
France.  His  wife  Was  Susanne  Jonte  of  France.  They  were  Hugue- 
nots. They  and  their  families  came  over  to  New  York,  where  Jacob 
Dick  and  Susanne  Jonte  were  married,  after  which  they  moved  to 
Louisville,  Ky.,  where  Isaac  Charles  Dick  was  bom.  He  afterwards 
went  to  New  Orleans,  and  when  the  railroad  reached  Summit  he  drifted 
there  and  subsequently  married  Esther  Ann  MeMorris. 


Isaac  C.  Dick 

of  the  Summit  Rifles.  16th  Mississippi  Regiment,  Color 
Bearer.  Severely  wounded  in  desperate  charge  at 
Cold  Harbor.  Subsequently  member 
Washington  Artillery 


52 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  following  article  has  been  copied  from  the  New  Orleans  Daily 
Delta: 

“We  were  shown  by  Mr.  Isaac  C.  Dick,  of  1914  Jackson  Avenue,  this  city, 
a Bible  printed  in  the  year  1568.  It  is  printed  in  double  column,  in  Latin  and 
French — one  column  being  the  translation  of  the  other.  In  connection  with 
this  volume  is  the  royal  privilege  of  the  king,  which  was  absolutely  necessary 
before  a literary  work  could  be  issued.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest,  if  not  the  oldest, 
Bibles  heard  of  in  this  country — being  330  years  old.  It  has  the  original  bind- 
ing save  the  back  and  corners.  Mr.  Dick’s  grandparents  became  possessed  of 
this  old  volume  in  France,  it  being  left  at  their  home  by  one  of  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte’s officers  on  the  occasion  of  that  emperor’s  march  to  Germany  in  1806. 
It  is  in  a remarkable  state  of  preservation,  and  the  print  is  very  legible.” 

Capt.  Westley  Thomas,  above  mentioned,  who  married  Widow 
McMorris,  was  a member  of  Jefferson  Davis’  1st  Mississippi  Regiment 
in  the  war  with  Mexico  and  participated  in  all  the  fighting  done  by 
that  command  in  Mexico. 

Joseph  Catching  and  his  wife,  Mary  Holiday,  moved  from  Georgia 
and  settled  on  the  Bogue  Chitto,  two  miles  below  Holmesville  in  1812. 
They  had  five  children,  as  follows:  Thomas  Catching,  who  married 
Miss  Clendenon,  and  lived  in  Hinds  County,  the  parents  of  T . C.  Catch- 
ing, ex-Congressman,  Mrs.  Mary  Baird  and  Mrs.  Nannie  Torry ; Benja- 
min Catching,  who  married  Miss  Hickenbottom  and  resided  in  Copiah 
County;  Silas  Catching,  who  married  Miss  Ann  Drake  and  lived  in 
Pike  County;  Sally  Catching  married  Robert  Love;  Seamore  Catching 
married  Sarah  Smith,  who  came  from  North  Carolina  in  1812.  They 
had  two  sons,  Charles  and  Joseph,  aged  twenty  and  eighteen,  killed 
in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  Tennessee.  They  had  a son,  Seamore,  who 
married  Miss  Ada  Marshall;  Silas  married  Jennie  Lilly,  of  Hazlehurst, 
and  lived  in  Somerset  County,  Kentucky.  John  married  Maggie 
Duffy,  and  also  resided  at  Somerset,  Ky. 

Sally  May  Catching  married  Robert  M.  Carruth,  of  Amite  County. 

Florence  married  Frank  Causey,  of  McComb  City,  and  Wm.  Love 
Catching  married  Miss  Winnie  Nall,  of  McComb. 

In  1812  John  Smith  settled  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  four  miles  below 
Holmesville.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Love,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  James  (Wild  Jim  Smith),  Narcissa,  Margaret  and  Sarah. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


53 


Narcissa  married  Judge  James  B.  Quin,  Margaret,  H.  F.  Bridges, 
and  Sarah,  Seamore  Catching,  the  father  of  Sally  May,  Robert  M. 
Carruth’s  wife.  Mrs.  Carruth  has  in  her  possession  a copy  of  the 
Ulster  County  Gazette,  Vol.  II,  published  at  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  under 
date  of  Saturday,  January  4,  1800,  ruled  in  mourning  for  the  death 
of  Gen.  George  Washington,  who  died  December  14,  1799,  aged 
sixty-eight,  containing  the  proceedings  of  the  United  States  Senate 
in  reference  to  the  death  of  this  illustrious  citizen,  the  Senate’s  address 
to  the  President  and  his  reply  from  which  the  following  is  copied : 

“Among  all  our  original  associates,  in  the  Memorial  League  of  the  Conti- 
nent, in  1774,  which  first  expressed  the  sovereign  will  of  a free  nation  in  Amer- 
ica, he  was  the  only  one  remaining  in  the  general  government.  Although  with 
a constitution  more  enfeebled  than  his,  at  an  age  when  he  thought  it  neces- 
sary to  prepare  for  retirement,  I feel  myself  alone,  bereaved  of  my  last  brother; 
yet  I derive  strong  consolation  from  the  unanimous  disposition  which  appears 
in  all  ages  and  classes,  to  mingle  their  sorrows  with  me  on  this  common  calamity 
to  the  world. 

“His  example  is  now  complete  and  it  will  teach  wisdom  and  virtue  to  mag- 
istrates, citizens  and  men,  not  only  in  the  present  age,  but  in  future  generations 
as  long  as  our  history  shall  be  read.  If  a Trajia  found  a Pliny,  a Marcus  Aure- 
lius’can  never  want  biographers,  eulogists  or  historians. 

“John  Adams.” 

“United  States,  Dec.  22,  1799.” 


In  memory  of  this  event  the  Ulster  County  Gazette  contains  the 
following : 


ON  THE  DEATH  OF  GENERAL  WASHINGTON. 

BY  A YOUNG  LADY. 

What  means  that  solemn  dirge  that  strikes  my  ear? 

What  means  those  mournful  sounds — why  shines  the  tear? 
Why  toll  the  bells  the  awful  knell  of  Fate? 

Ah!  why  those  sighs  that  do  my  fancy  sate? 

Where’er  I turn  the  general  gloom  appears, 

Those  mourning  badges  fill  my  soul  with  fears; 

Hark!  yonder  rueful  noise — 'tis  done — ’tis  done! — 

The  silent  tomb  enshrines  our  Washington. 

Must  virtues  exalted  yield  their  breath  ? 

Must  bright  perfection  find  relief  in  death  ? 

Must  mortal  greatness  fall  ? A glorious  name ! 


54 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


What  then  is  riches,  honor  and  true  fame  ? 

The  august  chief,  the  father  and  the  friend, 

The  generous  patriot — let  the  muse  commend! 

Columbia’s  glory  and  Mount  Vernon’s  pride 
There  lies  enshrined  with  numbers  at  his  side! 

There  let  the  sigh  respondent  from  the  breast, 

Heave  in  rich  numbers — let  the  growing  reft 
Of  tears  refulgent  beam  with  grateful  love ; 

And  the  sable  mourning  our  affliction  prove. 

Weep,  kindred  mortals — weep — no  more  you’ll  find 
A man  so  just,  so  pure,  so  firm  in  mind; 

Rejoicing  angels,  hail  the  heavenly  sage; 

Celestial  spirits  the  wonder  of  the  age. 

Mrs.  Carruth  also  has  the  beautiful  silk,  gold  fringed  Master  Mason’s 
apron  with  the  symbolic  emblems  of  that  ancient  order,  worn  by  her 
grandfather,  Joseph  Catching,  who  as  well  as  being  a pioneer  of  Pike 
was  a member  of  Rising  Brotherhood  Lodge,  No.  7,  of  Holmesville, 
and  a certificate  of  membership  of  Joseph  Catching,  15th  of  May,  in 
the  year  of  Masonry  5830  (1830)  signed  Thonly  L.  White,  W.  M.; 
Jimmerson  Statham,  J.  W. ; Arak  Wilson,  Sect.  Also  a certificate  of 
membership  of  Joseph  Catching  from  Holmesville  Lodge,  No.  69, 
dated  January  1,  1847,  A.  L.  5847,  signed  George  Nicholson,  W.  M. ; 
James  Kenna,  S.  W. ; J.  B.  Statham,  J.  W. ; Sam  A.  Matthews,  Sect. 

GEORGE  III. 

George  III  of  England  was  bom  on  the  4th  of  June,  1738.  On  tho 
27th  of  May,  1759,  he  was  married  to  Hannah  Lightfoot.  He  died  on 
the  29th  of  January,  1820.  They  had  a son,  Buxton  Lawn,  whe 
married  Mary  Dawson  (or  Dorson),  a granddaughter  of  the  Lord 
Mayor  of  London  of  the  same  name.  Buxton  Lawn  and  Mary  Daw- 
son were  the  parents  of  the  following  named  children : Buxton,  Robert, 
Henry,  Mary,  Betsy,  Cathorine,  Susan,  William,  Ann  and  Eliza.  Of 
these,  Robert,  Mary,  Eliza  and  Ann  drifted  to  New  Orleans,  after 
coming  over  to  New  York  in  company  with  their  mother,  in  search 
of  the  husband  and  father  whom  they  missed  on  his  return  to  England, 
and  died  there  soon  after. 

Robert  Lawn  (changed  to  Layton)  married  Susan  Gilchrist,  first 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


55 


wife,  and  Margaret  Newman  Hewes,  New  Orleans,  La.;  Mary  married 
Charles  K.  Porter,  New  Orleans,  La.;  Ann  first  married  Mr.  McKit- 
rick,  and  then  Samnel  James  Stephens.  With  McKitrick  she  had 
one  daughter,  Mary,  who  was  the  wife  of  Joe  Kirkland.  Eliza  married 
William  B.  Ligon,  Sr. 

Ann  Louisa  Stephens,  daughter  of  Ann  Lawn  (Widow  McKitrick), 
was  the  wife  of  Owen  Conerly,  and  mother  of  this  writer. 

Joe  Kirkland  had  a son  named  Dud,  who  was  a Mexican  War 
veteran,  lived  and  died  in  East  Feliciana  Parish,  La. ; also  a son  named 
Weston. 

Ann  Lawn  Stephens  was  the  mother  of  Cathorine,  who  married 
John  C.  Huey,  New  Orleans,  La. ; Cecelia,  who  was  the  wife  of  William 
Forshey,  a sculptor  and  portrait  painter,  from  Missouri,  lived  a while 
in  Holmesville — had  previously  been  a member  of  the  Louisiana  Legis- 
lature, and  was  Mayor  of  Brookhaven  in  the  sixties. 

It  is  a curious  circumstance  how  the  grandchildren  of  the  King 
of  England  strayed  away  from  there  and  became  identified  as  they 
have  been  with  Louisiana  and  Mississippi.  Ann  Louisa  Stephens, 
Mrs.  Huey  and  Mrs.  Forshey  and  the  children  of  William  B.  Ligon,  Sr., 
with  Eliza  Lawn,  being  the  great  grand  children  of  that  monarch. 

Samuel  James  Stephens,  husband  of  Ann  Lawn,  was  a native  of 
Ireland,  highly  educated,  an  eminent  physician  and  surgeon,  and  an 
attache  of  the  staff  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  He  possessed  a miniature 
likeness  of  himself  and  Bonaparte  taken  together  and  set  in  gold, 
showing  a strong  resemblance  between  them  and  evidencing  a close 
friendship.  He  was  one  of  the  volunteer  exiles  from  France  who  came 
to  Louisiana  after  the  fall  of  his  illustrious  chief.  He  met  and  mar- 
ried Mrs.  McKitrick  and  lived  in  Covington  and  New  Orleans.  Ann 
Louisa,  his  daughter,  was  well  educated,  spent  some  of  her  younger 
days  with  her  brother-in-law,  Joe  Kirkland,  and  with  her  uncle  and 
aunt,  Col.  William  B.  Ligon  and  wife,  She  taught  school  at  China 
Grove,  where  she  met  young  Owen  Conerly  and  married  him  in  1838, 
in  her  twentieth  year  of  age.  She  read  and  spoke  French  fluently. 
She  was  a woman  of  fine  mental  qualities,  a great  reader,  historian 
and  conversationalist,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  brightest  and 


56 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


most  intellectual  women  of  her  time  who  lived  in  Pike  County.  She 
Was  a fluent  writer  and  occasionally  contributed  to  the  local  news- 
papers— in  later  years  established  in  Holmesville.  She  was  musical 
and  poetical,  an  ardent  Methodist  in  religion,  and  lived  and  died  in 
the  faith. 

There  is  no  language  this  writer  can  command  which  will  enable 
him  to  pay  a just  tribute  to  his  beautiful  and  gifted  mother.  Around 
the  family  fireside  and  in  the  sanctity  of  a home,  in  his  childhood, 
youth  and  young  manhood,  he  imbibed  the  inspirations  of  her  soul. 
Whatever  talents  he  may  possess,  manifested  in  a perusal  of  this 
book,  he  owes  to  her  and  a father  who  had  an  intellect  as  clear  and 
bright  as  the  waters  that  flow  from  the  most  beautiful  fountain. 

The  Laytons,  descendants  of  Robert  (Lawn)  Layton  and  the  Hewes 
connected  with  this  branch;  the  Porters,  the  Hueys,  Gilchrists  and 
the  Prestons  of  New  Orleans  are  all  connections  of  George  III  and 
Hannah  Lightfoot;  springing  from  Robert  Lawn,  Mrs.  Eliza  Ligon, 
Mrs.  Mary  Porter,  and  Mrs.  Ann  Stephens. 

In  Pike  County,  all  the  descendants  of  the  children  of  Col.  William 
B.  Ligon  and  Eliza  Lawn  and  those  of  Owen  Conerly,  Jr.,  and  Ann 
Louisa  Stephens,  are  direct  descendants;  also  the  children  of  Mrs. 
Cecelia  R.  Forshey,  widow  of  Wm.  Forshey,  now  of  Texas.  She  had 
only  two  children,  Cecelia  and  Florence,  the  latter  being  the  wife  of 
John  W.  Coffee. 

Reddick  Taylor  Sparkman  came  from  Bunkham  County,  North 
Carolina.  His  wife  was  Nancy  Woodward  Pearson,  of  Edgefield 
District,  South  Carolina.  They  were  among  the  early  settlers  of 
Holmesville.  Reddick  Sparkman  was  a first-class  mechanic  and  con- 
tractor and  built  many  of  the  first  fine  residences  of  Holmesville. 
He  was  one  of  the  builders  and  owners  of  the  Holmesville  Hotel, 
which  subsequently  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  son-in-law,  William  R. 
Johnson,  who  married  his  daughter  Martha,  the  widow  of  — — - Rich- 
mond. One  of  the  residences  built  by  him  is  still  standing  and  is 
the  home  of  Dr.  Lucius  M.  Quin.  In  company  with  Thomas  Arthur 
he  constructed  a water-mill  over  a small  bayou  below  town  through 
which  the  water  was  turned  from  the  Bogue  Chitto  by  the  construe- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


57 


tion  of  a rock  dam  above.  The  machinery  was  run  by  means  of  a 
large  undershot  Wheel.  It  was  an  upright  saw  and  grist  mill.  He 
was  major  in  the  militia  of  the  county  and  an  active  politician,  being 
a democrat  when  the  Whig  party  existed.  He  served  as  sheriff  for 
several  terms,  the  exact  dates  being  given  elsewhere  in  official  lists. 

Reddick  Sparkman  and  Nancy  Woodward  Pearson,  his  wife,  were 
the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Martha  E.,  whose  first  husband 
was  Mr.  Richmond,  the  father  of  Dilla  and  Reddick  Richmond;  her 
second  husband  Was  William  R.  Johnson,  the  hotel  keeper,  and  her 
third  husband  R.  Y.  Statham,  who  first  married  her  sister  Ann  Maria 
and  was  left  a widower. 

Cynthia  Adaline,  who  married  James  A.  Ferguson. 

Victoria,  the  wife  of  Frank  M.  Quin. 

Alvira,  the  wife  of  Capt.  John  Holmes. 

The  names  of  their  sons  are  Thomas  Wiley,  William  L.  and  Achilles 
P.  Sparkman.  Thomas  Wiley  died  in  his  youth.  William  L.  was 
killed  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  of  Lee’s  lines  at  Petersburg,  Va.  He 
belonged  to  the  Quitman  Guards  and  was  on  the  skirmish  line  when 
they  (Harris’  Mississippi  Brigade)  were  ordered  to  assemble  in  Fort 
Gregg  and  hold  it  at  all  hazards.  He  fell  before  reaching  the  fort. 
Achilles  P.  Sparkman  was  severely  wounded  in  the  abdomen,  pene- 
trating the  bladder,  in  the  battle  of  Cross  Keys,  Va.,  during  the  cele- 
brated Valley  Campaign,  when  Stonewall  Jackson  and  R.  S.  Ewell 
joined  forces  to  drive  N.  P.  Banks  out  of  Winchester,  which  disabled 
him  for  life.  Mention  of  him  will  be  found  in  future  pages  of  this 
work.  He  married  Mary  E.  Vaught,  the  daughter  of  Maj.  W.  W. 
Vaught,  who  was  a quartermaster  in  the  Confederate  Army. 


58 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


CHAPTER  III. 

CHINA  GROVE  AND  MAGEES  CREEK. 

China  Grove  Was  first  settled  and  owned  by  Ralph  Stovall,  in 
1815.  He  settled  on  land  about  one-quarter  of  a mile  from  where 
the  China  Grove  schoolhouse  and  church  have  stood  since  established. 
At  the  foot  of  a steep  elevation  there  is  a splendid  freestone,  cold 
Water  spring,  east  of  the  church,  that  formed  an  ever-flowing  branch 
which  bubbled  on  down  westward  and  emptied  into  Magees  Creek. 
This  spring  and  branch  afforded  ample  water  for  domestic  purposes 
and  for  stock.  At  this  period  of  the  first  settlement  of  the  community 
under  the  Stovall  regime,  the  church  erected  here  belonged  to  the 
Baptist  denomination.  There  was  a grove  of  China  trees  set  out  in 
the  grounds  around  the  schoolhouse,  which  was  a little  log  building 
(the  original  church  house),  and  the  church  yard,  which  gave  it  the 
name  of  China  Grove.  Ralph  Stovall  employed  John  Barnes,  the 
grandfather  of  Major  Sartin,  and  constructed  a set  of  mills  over  Magees 
Creek,  about  a mile  south  or  southwest  direction  from  the  church, 
and  his  residence,  run  by  water  power. 

These  mills  consisted  of  an  upright  saw,  a cotton  gin  and  press, 
a rice  pestle  mill  and  fan,  for  cleaning,  and  a grist  mill.  It  Was  built 
across  the  stream  at  the  foot  of  a bluff,  which  afforded  a good  embank- 
ment on  the  east  side.  Drury  and  Henry  Stovall,  brothers  of  Ralph, 
settled  a few  miles  north  of  China  Grove  at  this  same  period.  Richard 
Ratliff  in  1817,  Benjamin  Youngblood  in  1816,  Ben  Jones  in  1818  and 
Joseph  Thornhill  in  1812. 

In  1822  Owen  Conerly  and  his  brother,  Rev.  and  Dr.  Luke  Conerly, 
emigrated  from  North  Carolina,  Duplin  County.  They  were  sons  of 
Cullen  Conerly  and  Letticia.  They  married  sisters.  Owen  married 
Mary  and  Luke  married  Rebecca,  daughters  of  William  Wilkinson  and 
Elizabeth.  The  latter  left  no  issue.  Owen  and  Mary  were  married 
January  14,  1808,  in  the  town  of  Fayetteville,  N.  C.,  county  of  Cum- 
berland. When  they  came  to  Mississippi,  Owen  Conerly  purchased 
all  of  Ralph  Stovall’s  property  at  China  Grove.  Rev.  and  Dr.  Luke 
Conerly  settled  near  by  in  Marion  County,  on  the  headwaters  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


59 


Pushepatapa,  in  the  vicinity  of  Waterholes  Church.  After  this  the 
church  house  property  which  had  been  used  by  the  Baptists,  being 
included  in  the  act  of  sale,  was  turned  into  a Methodist  Church.  The 
children  of  Owen  Conerly  and  Mary  Wilkinson  were  Cullen,  William 
W.,  John  R.,  Eliza,  Owen,  Emily,  Luke  (died  early),  Rebecca  (died 
early),  Cathorine  (died  early),  Mary  Jane  and  James,  Melissa  and 
Susan  (died  early). 

Some  of  the  early  settlers  of  Magees  Creek,  more  or  less  identified 
with  China  Grove,  were  Parish  Thompson,  James  Craft,  Zachariah 
McGraw,  Owen  Elliott,  John  Merchant,  school  teacher  and  preacher; 
James  Reed,  James  May,  William  Reed,  Noah  Day,  chairmaker;  Jacob 
Smith,  Joseph  May,  William  Boon,  Stephen  Ellis  and  Joseph  Newsom. 

In  1813  Sartin’s  Church  was  established  by  John  Sartin,  Joseph 
Newsom,  James  Reed,  John  May,  Joseph  May,  Owen  Elliott  and 
Stephen  Ellis. 

Stephen  Ellis  was  a school  teacher  and  minister  of  the  gospel,  and 
was  one  of  the  prime  movers  for  the  establishment  of  a church  here, 
as  well  as  being  a pillar  of  strength  to  pioneer  Methodism  in  this  sec- 
tion. The  house  constructed  here  was  built  of  peeled  pine  logs  and 
was  used  as  a house  of  worship,  a day  school  and  a Sunday-school, 
with  Stephen  Ellis  as  the  minister,  teacher  and  superintendent.  This 
man  took  such  a conspicuous  part  in  the  spiritual,  intellectual  and 
social  upbuilding  of  Magees  Creek  that  he  and  his  brother,  Ezekiel 
Parke  Ellis,  afterward  district  judge  of  the  Florida  Parishes,  La., 
deserve  more  than  a passing  notice  in  these  reminiscences.  They 
were  the  sons  of  John  Ellis,  bom  in  Virginia,  and  connected  with  the 
Tucker  and  Randolph  families,  whose  father  was  a man  of  great  force 
of  character,  a planter  and  a Christian.  Their  mother  was  Sarah 
Johnson,  bom  in  Virginia  also,  and  connected  with  the  Kershaw  and 
Lowry  families  of  that  State. 

John  and  Sarah  Ellis  moved  to  Georgia  and  thence  to  Pike  County, 
Mississippi,  and  afterwards  to  Louisiana,  in  the  territorial  period. 
The  Ellis  families  of  Copiah  and  adjoining  counties  are  of  the  same 
stock.  George,  John,  Reuben,  Stephen  and  William  Ellis  were 
names  of  members  of  this  branch. 


60 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


William  Millsaps,  of  Browns  Wells;  T.  J.  Millsaps,  of  Hazlehurst; 
Mrs.  Sally  Wadsworth,  widow  of  Rev.  Wm.  Wadsworth,  and  Dr. 
George  E.  Ellis,  of  Utica,  Miss.,  are  among  those  recalled  as  offshoots 
of  the  Mississippi  branch  of  the  family. 

When  tidings  of  the  massacre  at  Fort  Mims  reached  South  Missis- 
sippi Stephen  Ellis,  still  in  his  teens,  joined  a company  of  mounted 
riflemen,  raised  in  Pike,  Marion  and  adjoining  counties,  and  with 
this  volunteer  command  served  under  General  Coffee  in  the  little 
army  of  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson,  then  operating  in  Alabama  and  Georgia 
against  the  hostile  Indians  and  their  British  allies.  He  saw  hard 
service  under  Coffee,  who  was  Jackson’s  great  cavalry  chief,  in  that 
fearful  wilderness  campaign.  He  participated  in  the  sanguinary 
battle  of  the  Horse  Shoe  Bend  on  the  Tallapoosa  River,  where  defeat 
broke  the  power  and  spirit  of  the  Creek  Indians  for  all  time,  and  he 
took  part  in  other  minor  engagements,  served  faithfully  until  the  close 
of  the  war  and  was  honorably  discharged.  He  was  a fine  reconteur 
and  delighted  in  entertaining  his  hearers  of  recollections  of  Jackson 
and  Coffee,  Houston  and  Davy  Crockett,  and  of  the  pompous  bearing 
and  self-importance  of  the  Choctaw  chief,  General  Pushmataha,  one 
of  Jackson’s  brigadiers. 

Stephen  Ellis  married  Mary  Magee,  sister  of  John,  Hezekiah  and 
William  Magee.  He  moved  from  Pike  County  to  near  Franklinton, 
in  Washington  Parish,  Louisiana;  was  a successful  planter  and  man 
of  considerable  means.  He  Was  a man  of  deep  religious  convictions, 
a preacher  of  force  and  earnestness,  logical  and  zealous,  and  his  minis- 
try resulted  in  lasting  good.  He  was  a great  reader,  strong  thinker 
and  writer.  He  delighted  to  teach  the  young  and  spent  years  of  his 
life  thus.  He  was  for  years  superintendent  of  education  and  held 
other  positions  of  trust.  He  possessed  engaging  manners,  fine  social 
qualities.  He  was  handsome  and  happy  hearted,  content  and  true 
in  friendship.  His  only  living  son  is  Stephen  R.  Ellis,  of  Acadia 
Parish,  Louisiana.  His  daughters  living  are  Mrs.  Melissa  Wiggins, 
of  Sharon,  Miss.,  widow  of  Rev.  David  M.  Wiggins;  Mary,  widow  of 
Rev.  Benj.  Impson;  Gabriella,  widow  of  Hugh  Bateman,  and  Mrs. 
Ellen  Babington,  wife  of  Robert  Babington,  of  Franklinton,  La. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


61 


His  descendants  include  the  family  names  of  Ellis,  Burris,  Wiggins, 
Simms,  Impson,  Bateman,  Babington,  Hartwell,  Sykes,  Lampton, 
Bickham,  Maggee  and  others.  One  daughter,  Sara  Ellis,  married 
Judge  James  M.  Burris,  another  Rev.  L.  A.  Simms,  and  another  Jason 
Bateman.  He  died  at  his  home  near  Franklinton  about  1869  in  the 
seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age,  the  triumphant  death  of  a Christian, 
carrying  along  with  him  in  the  eternal  hereafter  the  sweetest  recollec- 
tion of  those  who  survived  him. 

There  are  many  people  yet  living  in  Pike  County  and  elsewhere 
who  remember  this  good  man,  who  were  children  then.  His  beautiful 
character,  his  love  of  children,  his  zeal  in  religion  and  the  uplifting 
and  upbuilding  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Pike  County  and  in  Wash- 
ington Parish  are  indelibly  stamped  upon  their  memories.  Tradi- 
tions of  him  have  gently  and  sweetly  floated  down  the  stream  of 
time — among  the  descendants  of  those  who  clustered  about  him, 
from  the  head  waters  of  Magees  Creek  to  where  the  earth  has  been 
made  holy  and  sacred  as  his  last  resting  place  in  Washington  Parish, 
Louisiana. 

Ezekiel  Parke  Ellis  lived  in  Pike  County  on  Magees  Creek  and 
taught  school  also  in  the  early  history  of  the  county.  He  was  twelve 
years  younger  than  his  brother  Stephen,  and  therefore  figured  later 
on.  He  married  the  youngest  daughter  of  Col.  Thomas  Cargill  Warner, 
who  served  under  Gen.  Andrew  Jackson  at  New  Orleans  in  1814  and 
1815,  and  was  judge  of  the  probate  court  of  Washington  Parish, 
Louisiana,  for  many  years. 

Ezekiel  Ellis  became  a lawyer  and  was  judge  of  his  district  for 
many  years,  dying  at  Amite  City  in  1884  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine 
years.  He,  like  his  illustrious  brother,  was  a man  of  splendid  intellect, 
moral  influence  and  force  of  character  and  transmitted  his  splendid 
virtues  to  his  sons  and  daughters.  His  son,  E.  John  Ellis,  was  a 
lawyer  and  brilliant  orator,  a man  of  great  personal  magnetism,  a 
member  of  Congress  from  the  Second  Louisiana  District  from  1875 
to  1885,  dying  in  Washington  City,  D.  C.,  in  1889.  Stephen  D.  Ellis, 
a practicing  lawyer  at  Amite  City  and  Surveyor  of  the  Customs  of  the 
Port  of  New  Orleans  under  President  Cleveland,  and  Thomas  Cargill 


62 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Warner  Ellis,  senior  judge  of  the  civil  district  court  of  New  Orleans, 
are  living.  The  latter  was  closely  associated  with  Gov.  John  McEnery 
during  the  celebrated  dual  government  in  Louisiana,  of  Wm.  Pitt 
Kellogg  and  John  McEnery,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  overthrow 
of  the  disgraceful  carpet-bag  regime  in  that  State  in  the  reconstruc- 
tion period.  He  has  always  been  a man  of  fine  intellect,  clear  views, 
legal  acumen,  an  elegant  and  forceful  writer,  a true,  noble-hearted, 
lasting  friend,  and  while  filling  the  ardent  and  responsible  position  of 

senior  judge  of  the  civil  district  court 
of  New  Orleans  has  also  filled  the 
chair  of  law  lecturer  at  the  Tulane 
Institute  in  that  city. 

One  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Ellis  is  the 
widow  of  Rev.  John  A.  Ellis,  of  the 
Mississippi  Conference,  who  was 
chaplain  of  the  29th  Tennessee  Regi- 
ment of  the  Confederate  States  Army. 
The  above  named  sons  all  served 
honorably  through  the  Civil  War,  in 
the  Army  of  Tennessee.  It  is  the 
splendid  qualities  possessed  by  such 
men  as  Stephen  and  Ezekiel  Ellis 
and  transmitted  by  them  to  their 
descendants  that  has  thrown  around 
the  early  history  of  Pike  County  a 
halo  of  romance,  and  gives  to  the 
writer  of  this  epoch  an  inspiration 
and  a labor  of  love. 

During  this  early  period  of  China  Grove  there  were  few  postoffices, 
mostly  located  at  the  county  seats  of  justice.  There  was  none  at 
China  Grove  until  1836,  when  the  first  postoffice  was  located  through 
the  efforts  of  Col.  William  B.  Ligon  at  his  plantation  on  Magees  Creek, 
a few  miles  south  of  China  Grove,  and  he  made  postmaster.  It  was 
given  the  name  of  China  Grove  postoffice  through  him.  It  Was  subse- 
quently moved  to  Raiford’s  store,  three  miles  nearer  to  the  church, 


Ezekiel  Park  Ellis 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


63 


and  afterwards,  in  the  fifties,  to  Packwood’s  store,  about  three- 
quarters  of  a mile  south  of  the  church.  China  Grove  is  about  equi- 
distant from  Holmesville  and  Columbia,  and  the  residence  of  Owen 
Conerly  being  located  at  the  crossing  of  the  Monticello  and  Covington 
road  and  the  Holmesville-Columbia  road,  made  it  a central  and  con- 
venient stopping  place  for  travelers.  Owen  Conerly  and  Mary  Wilkin- 
son raised  five  sons:  John  R.  (Jackie),  Cullen,  William,  Owen  and 
James,  and  three  daughters:  Eliza,  Emily  and  Mary  Jane,  and  they 
all  became  settlers  on  Magees  Creek  or  near  it.  Owen  Conerly,  Sr., 
kept  his  mill  in  operation  attended  by  his  son,  Owen,  Jr.,  until  his 
death,  about  1848,  after  which  the  property  was  sold  at  administra- 
tor’s sale  and  fell  in  the  hands  of  Needham  B.  Raiford,  the  Methodist 
minister,  who  at  that  time  filled  the  pulpit  at  China  Grove.  Owen 
Conerly,  Sr.,  and  his  brother,  Luke,  were  among  the  organizers  and 
principal  supporters  of  the  Methodist  Church  at  this  place  up  to  the 
death  of  the  former  and  the  removal  of  the  latter  to  Western  Louisiana, 
in  1848. 

After  the  sale  of  his  father’s  China  Grove  property  and  the  mill, 
Owen  Conerly,  Jr.,  having  purchased  a place  higher  up  on  Magees 
Creek,  settled  by  John  Gordon  in  1817,  erected  a saw,  grist  mill  and 
cotton  gin.  He  sold  a portion  of  this  property  to  Thomas  J.  Con- 
nally,  a blacksmith,  who  named  these  places  “ ’Possum  Trot,”  from 
which  the  ’Possum  Trot  road  leading  from  there  to  Tylertown  derived 
its  name. 

In  1812  Peter  Sandifer  came  from  South  Carolina  on  pack  horses 
and  first  settled  at  “Thick  Woods”  near  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and  from 
there  he  came  to  Magees  Creek  and  settled  a few  miles  below  China 
Grove  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek  below  Conerly’s  mills,  through 
which  lands  the  ’Possum  Trot  road  runs.  This  was  in  1820.  During 
that  year  the  noted  Pacific-Atlantic  hurricane,  commencing  on  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  passed  through  the  country  to  the  Atlantic  somewhere 
in  North  Carolina.  It  made  a swipe  through  Pike  County,  striking 
in  from  Amite  County  along  a little  stream  which  derived  its  name, 
Hurricane  Creek,  from  that  circumstance.  It  struck  in  and  swept 
over  the  old  McCay  settlement  near  Muddy  Springs,  where  the  Spinks 


64 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Peter  Sandifer  in  Bear  Fight  Scene  on  Magee’s  Creek,  1820. 


brothers  live,  following  a course  a little  south  of  Holmesville  and  through 
below  China  Grove  where  Peter  Sandifer  had  settled.  It  was  about 
one-half  mile  wide  and  did  great  damage  outside  of  its  central  line 
by  the  side  currents,  destroying  timber  and  other  things  as  it  passed. 
It  wiped  Sandifer’s  improvements  off  the  face  of  the  earth.  Neigh- 
bors were  far  apart  in  those  days,  but  it  was  customary  to  help  each 
other  in  all  cases  of  emergency,  so  the  Magees  and  Thornhills,  lower 
down  on  the  creek,  and  others  were  summoned  to  his  aid.  On  account 
of  the  abundance  of  bear  and  panthers,  wolves  and  wild  cats,  it  was 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


65 


unsafe  to  leave  women  and  children  unprotected.  In  this  instance, 
as  well  as  others,  they  took  their  wives  and  children,  their  guns  and 
dogs,  along  with  them.  When  they  reached  Sandifer’s  the  men  went 
to  work  to  put  up  a new  house,  some  cutting  blocks  and  some  pine 
poles  and  peeling  them,  and  some  riving  boards,  and  the  women  to 
making  preparations  for  their  meals.  There  was  a spring  some  dis- 
tance away  which  afforded  water,  and  the  children  were  sent  there  for 
water.  When  they  reached  the  spring  a large  black  bear  had  posses- 
sion of  it.  The  children  were  greatly  frightened  upon  meeting  the 
bear  so  suddenly  and  their  screams  brought  out  the  entire  fighting 
force  with  their  guns,  knives  and  dogs.  The  bear,  however,  was 
undismayed  and  stood  his  ground  against  the  big  pack  of  trained 
dogs,  and  a genuine  battle  ensued.  It  Was  difficult  to  shoot  the  bear 
without  endangering  the  lives  of  the  valuable  dogs  engaged  in  the 
conflict,  so  the  men  let  the  fight  go  on  until  finally  the  bear  picked  up 
one  of  the  most  valuable  of  the  dogs  and  proceeded  to  caress  him 
vigorously  while  folded  in  his  massive  arms.  The  dog  screamed  for 
dear  life,  and  this  was  too  much  for  the  owner  and  he  and  others 
rushed  in  with  their  big  knives  and  the  battle  became  one  of  exciting 
interest  until  bruin  succumbed  at  last  from  loss  of  blood.  This  was 
a noted  bear  fight,  but  one  among  many  of  such  incidents  that  hap- 
pened in  that  section  of  the  county.  Magees  Creek  had  a wide,  flat 
bottom,  which  Was  in  those  days  covered  with  a very  thick  under- 
growth and  wild  cane,  affording  suitable  hiding  places  for  these  wild 
animals.  In  this  neighborhood  Daniel  Burkhalter  and  his  wife,  Mary 
Palmore,  had  settled  on  Varnal,  which  empties  into  Magees  Creek  just 
above  Sandifer’s.  Their  settlement  was  on  the  hill  near  the  ford 
where  the  Holmesville  and  Columbia  road  crosses.  They  owned  a 
negro  slave  woman  who  had  some  children.  One  was  a child  just 
sitting  alone,  and  was  left  in  the  yard  with  the  larger  child  to  mind  it, 
while  the  grown  people  were  out  at  work.  A large,  fat  coon  came  up 
in  the  yard  and  caught  the  little  child  by  the  cheek  and  held  on  to  it. 
The  screams  of  the  children  brought  the  mother  to  the  house  to  learn 
the  cause  and  the  coon  refused  to  let  go.  Then  the  master  came  and 
had  to  choke  the  coon  to  death  to  make  it  let  go  the  child’s  cheek. 

5 


66 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  wild  animals  and  birds  afforded  great  sport  to  the  early  settlers 
as  well  as  meat  in  abundance  for  their  families. 

Daniel  Burkhalter  and  Mary  Palmore  were  the  parents  of  Henry, 
William,  John  and  James  Burkhalter,  and  Eliza,  who  married  Joseph 
Luter;  Cynthia,  who  married  Mike  Jones;  Mary,  who  married  William 
Kaigler;  Sarah  Ann,  who  married  Frank  Leland;  Louisa,  who  mar- 
ried Willis  Magee,  and  subseqaently  Elbert  Magee. 

Indian  Creek  is  one  of  the  head  streams  of  Magees  Creek,  and  got 
its  name  from  being  the  camping-grounds  of  the  Choctaw  Indians. 
It  was  first  settled  by  William  Boon  and  his  sons  later  on  and  by  the 
father  of  Wiley  Elliott,  who  married  Caroline  Barr. 

William  Boon  had  four  sons:  John,  Richard,  Frederick  and  Skinner 
Boon.  John  married  Helen  M.  Sartin. 

Joseph  Thornhill,  who  settled  in  this  community  in  1812,  married 
Elizabeth  Fitzpatrick  in  South  Carolina.  The  following  are  the  names 
of  their  children:  Liddy,  who  married  Claiborne  Rushing,  of  lower 
Magees  Creek;  Polly,  who  married  Jack  Reddy,  upper  Magees  Creek; 
Evan  J.,  Lucella,  John,  Hiram,  Joseph  Patrick  and  William  Thornhill, 
who  was  the  father  of  Dr.  Jo.  M.  Thornhill. 

Elisha  Holmes,  Sr.,  came  from  Georgia  with  his  wife,  Sally  Stovall, 
a sister  of  Drury,  Ralph  and  Henry  Stovall.  They  settled  on  Collins 
Creek  in  the  early  part  of  1800,  contemporaneously  with  the  Magees. 
They  were  the  original  ancestors  of  the  extensive  Holmes  family  in 
Pike  County.  They  were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Cole- 
man, who  married  Polly  Ann  Foil,  sister  of  William  Foil,  from  Georgia ; 
Josiah,  who  married  Agnes  Samrall;  Benjamin,  who  married  Mary 
Sumrall;  William,  who  married  Jane  Foil,  sister  of  Ann;  Jesse,  who 
married  Nancy  Sumrall;  James,  who  married  Nancy  Shirley;  Cynthia, 
who  married  David  Brumfield;  Betsey,  who  married  Isaac  Brumfield; 
Jennie,  who  married  Willis  Brumfield;  Elisha,  who  married  Mary 
Roberts,  daughter  of  David  Roberts,  from  Georgia,  and  Berry,  who 
never  married. 

Elisha  Holmes,  Jr.,  settled  on  Vamal  Creek  and  was  the  father  of 
Thomas  H.  Holmes,  who  married  Telitha  Duncan,  daughter  of  James 
Duncan  and  Winnie  Carmon.  His  daughters  were  Polly,  Ellen, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


67 


Emily,  Harriet  and  Sarah,  who  married  George  Gartman,  and  Eliza- 
beth (Betsey),  who  married  Dave  Gartman.* 

Benjamin  Holmes,  the  husband  of  Mary  Sumrall,  settled  on  the 
east  side  of  Magees  Creek  some  two  miles  north  of  China  Grove.  He 
was  a farmer  and  bell  manufacturer.  He  made  them  by  hand  in 
his  shop  and  supplied  the  people  with  bells.  He  raised  a large  family 
of  boys  and  girls  and  was  the  father  of  Dave  and  Capt.  John  Holmes, 
the  last  captain  of  the  Quitman  Guards,  and  Benny  Holmes  of  the 
same  company;  James  and  Needham  and  Betsey,  Mary  Ann  and 
Emily.  All  the  Holmes  whose  names  may  be  found  in  the  rolls  of 
the  several  military  companies  of  Pike  and  incorporated  in  this  book 
sprung  from  Elisha  Holmes,  Sr.,  and  Sally  Stovall,  those  glorious  old 
Georgia  ancestors,  like  the  rest  of  them,  who  first  planted  themselves 
in  the  wilds  of  the  Mississippi  Territory,  gave  to  the  Confederacy  its 
heroes  and  its  heroines. 

Darbun  Creek,  one  of  the  head  tributaries  of  Magees  Creek,  got 
its  name  from  Colonel  McGowan,  an  eccentric  bachelor,  who  settled 
there  with  his  brother,  Elijah  McGowan,  in  1815,  along  with  Drury 
and  Henry  Stovall,  brothers  of  Ralph  Stovall,  the  founder  of  the 
China  Grove  settlement,  Richard  Ratliff  and  Harrison  Bracey.  They 
were  all  slave  owners  and  progressive  and- successful  cotton  planters. 

Drury  Stovall  was  bom  in  Georgia  in  1770,  and  his  wife,  Lucey 
Wright,  was  bom  in  the  same  State  in  1780.  They  were  married  in 

*Isaac  Duncan,  a son  of  James  Duncan  and  Winnie  Carmon,  was  murdered 
by  some  negroes  while  plowing  in  his  field.  He  had  previously  had  a difficulty 
with  negroes  named  Love  and  Pink  Conerly.  Subsequently  Love  was  killed  in 
his  cabin  by  some  one  on  the  outside  at  night,  his  slayer  shooting  him  through 
a crevice  of  the  cabin.  Isaac  Duncan  was  supposed  to  be  the  one  who  did  it, 
but  there  was  no  proof  of  it,  and  the  grand  jury  failed  to  find  any  against  him. 
This  led  to  the  murder  of  Duncan  by  negroes  who  slipped  up  to  his  fence  and 
hid  themselves  and  then  shot  him  down  at  his  plow.  After  disabling  him  and 
having  him  cut  off  from  his  own  gun,  they  rushed  in  on  him  and,  though  begging 
for  his  life,  they  beat  his  brains  out  and  left  him.  Ike  Duncan  assured  this 
writer  that  he  was  innocent  of  the  killing  of  Love  and  he  has  been  informed  by 
others  in  a position  to  know  that  he  was  not  guilty  of  the  crime.  Ike  Duncan 
was  a mason  and  master  of  his  lodge,  and  he  was  buried  by  that  order,  and  had 
one  of  the  largest  funerals  ever  known  in  eastern  Pike  County.  His  murderers 
escaped  punishment. 


68 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


1803.  From  them  came  Charles  Green,  John  Lewis,  Thomas  Pecer, 
William  J.  and  Felix  Crawford  Stovall.  Charles  Green  Stovall 
remained  in  Georgia  and  the  other  brothers  settled  in  the  Darbun 
neighborhood  and  became  the  direct  ancestors  of  the  Stovall  Con- 
federate soldiers. 

Harrison  Bracey  came  from  South  Carolina  in  1815  and  married 
Elizabeth  McGowan,  a sister  of  Col.  James  and  Elijah  McGowan. 
They  were  the  parents  of  Sarah,  who  married  William  Mellerd;  Mary, 
who  married  Hugh  Craft;  Cynthia,  who  married  Needham  L.  Ball; 
Rebecca,  who  married  Calvin  Ratliff,  subsequently  wife  of  Jackson 
Holmes;  Margaret,  who  married  Sherod  Gray,  and  Lucy,  who  married 
Mike  Pearson,  and  Washington  and  Harrison  Bracey,  Jr.  The  latter 
married  Louisa  Ball,  daughter  of  Jesse  Ball,  Sr. 

Harrison  Bracey,  Sr.,  was  a nephew  of  President  William  Henry 
Harrison  on  the  mother’s  side. 

Richard  Ratliff  settled  on  Darbun  in  1817.  He  married  Mary 
Stovall  (called  Polly),  daughter  of  Drury  Stovall  and  Lucy  Wright, 
from  Georgia.  Richard  Ratliff  and  Mary  Stovall  were  the  parents  of 
Franklin,  Warren,  Calvin,  Green,  Robert  (died  young)  and  Simeon  R. 
Ratliff.  Richard  Ratliff  Was  a large  slave  owner  and  acquired  con- 
siderable means  as  cotton  planter  and  by  general  farming. 

Simeon  R.  Ratliff,  one  of  the  survivors  of  the  Quitman  Guard,  is 
the  only  one  of  these  sons  living.  He  married  Joan  Ellzey,  one  of 
Pike  County’s  most  beautiful  girls,  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  War. 

Joel  Bullock  came  from  North  Carolina  and  settled  in  Marion 
County  in  1818.  His  wife  was  Rhoda  Davies,  whom  he  married  before 
coming  to  Mississippi.  He  was  related  to  William  and  David  Bullock, 
who  settled  on  Clear  Creek.  They  were  the  parents  of  Hugh,  Quinney, 
Davies,  Thomas,  William,  Lemuel  and  Samuel  (twins),  Richard, 
Simeon,  Joseph,  Rhoda,  Delia,  Eptha  and  Louisa,  who  married  Mr. 
Ginn. 

Lemuel T.  Bullock,  who  resided  on  Vamal,  married  Joan,  a daughter 
of  Jerry  Smith. 

Jake  Smith  and  his  wife  came  from  Germany,  first  to  South  Caro- 
lina or  Georgia,  and  then  to  Mississippi,  and  settled  on  the  west  side 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


69 


of  Magees  Creek,  a few  miles  north  of  TylertoWn,  where  they  lived 
and  died  and  are  buried.  Five  children  were  bom  to  them:  Daniel, 
Jacob,  John,  William  and  Salena. 

Daniel  married  a Miss  Magee.  William  married  Angeline,  daughter 

ofJohnMagee.  John  married  Miss  Morgan.  Jacob  Jr.,  married , 

and  Salena  married  Hugh  Ginn.  Sarah,  a daughter  of  Jacob  Smith, 
Jr.,  married  Leander  Sartin. 

Benjamin  Jones  came  from  South  Carolina  in  1811,  and  acquired 
property  on  Magees  Creek  in  1818.  He  was  a gunsmith,  and  married 
Polly  Harvey,  daughter  of  Michael  Harvey.  They  were  the  parents 
of  Mike  Jones,  who  married  Cynthia  Burkhalter,  daughter  of  Daniel 
Burkhalter  and  Mary  Palmore. 

Joel  Bullock  and  Rhoda  Davies  were  married  in  North  Carolina, 
emigrated  to  Mississippi  and  settled  in  Marion  County.  Hosey  Davies, 
a relative,  and  Newton  Cowart,  also  came  about  the  same  time,  also 
Stephen  and  John  Regan.  These  people,  with  Luke  Conerly,  formed 
a group  or  settlement  around  Waterholes  Church,  just  outside  the 
line  formed  by  the  creation  of  Pike  County. 

Huey  Bullock  married  Caroline  Smith;  Quinney  married  Liddy 
Graves;  Richard,  Miss  Magee;  Lemuel,  Joan  Smith;  daughter  of  Gen- 
tleman Jake  Smith;  Simeon,  Nancey  L.  Williamson ; Joseph,  Nancy 
Ann  Davis. 

William  and  Davis  Bullock,  who  settled  on  Clear  Creek  in  181 2, were 
a branch  of  this  family. 

Governor  Bullock,  of  Georgia,  brother  of  Capt.  Theodore  Roose- 
velt’s wife,  mother  of  Theodore  Roosevelt,  President  of  the  United 
States,  belonged  to  the  same  family.  Another  branch  settled  in 
Virginia.  They  were  all  Irish  stock  from  England,  and  came  to 
America  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War.  There  was  a branch  of 
the  Davis  (Davies)  family  who  settled  in  Laurence  County.  These 
people  were  all  known  for  their  high  integrity,  honest  purposes — sub- 
stantial, law-abiding  citizens,  adhering  to  the  Baptist  faith  in  religion. 

Thomas  Bullock  had  two  sons:  William  and  John  Thomas.  John 
Thomas  was  a natural-bom  ventriloquist,  which  his  schoolmates  and 
play  fellows  learned  of  him  in  childhood,  playing  hide-and-seek.  He 


70 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Was  wild  and  daring  even  in  his  early  years,  and  during  the  Civil  War, 
by  a ruse,  he,  with  twelve  young  boys,  captured  300  Yankee  raiders 
in  Laurence  County  while  out  on  one  of  their  expeditions  from  Natchez. 
He  had  thirteen  Confederate  flags,  made  by  the  women  out  of  such 
stuff  as  they  could  hastily  put  together  to  represent  the  Confederate 
battle  flag,  and  placed  them  in  position  so  as  to  indicate  the  presence 
of  so  many  regiments,  and  by  a ruse  drew  them  inside  his  lines,  and 
when  the  proper  time  arrived  the  color-bearers  exhibited  their  flags 
and  the  enemy  discovered  that  they  were  surrounded  without  any 
hope  of  escape.  Bullock  rode  out  to  meet  them  and  asked  what  they 
proposed  to  do,  surrender  or  be  slaughtered?  “It  is  a question  for 
you  to  determine  instantly  or  I will  fire  on  you  with  my  entire  com- 
mand.” The  officer  in  charge  of  the  raiders  saw  the  thirteen  battle 
flags  waving  defiantly  from  the  woods  and  he  yielded  at  once.  Bul- 
lock ordered  them  to  line  up  and  stack  their  arms,  waved  for  a 
courier  from  his  battle  line,  to  whom  he  gave  instructions  to  have 
General  Bullock’s  ordnance  officer  to  take  care  of  these  guns  and  to 
send  a guard  of  twelve  men  to  him  at  once,  and  with  these  he  escorted 
the  raiders  into  Confederate  headquarters,  where  they  learned  to 
their  mortification  the  trick  played  on  them.  His  adventurous  spirit 
knew  no  bounds,  and  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  he  joined  the  Texas 
Rangers  and  served  with  them  for  years  and  eventually  died  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States  Government  as  a detective. 

It  is  related  of  him  that  he  got  to  be  such  an  expert  rider  and 
marksman  that  he  could  lean  down  beside  his  horse’s  neck,  circle  at 
full  speed  around  a tree  and  girdle  it,  firing  underneath  his  horse’s 
neck.  The  writer  was  a childhood  schoolmate  with  him  and  per- 
sonally knew  of  his  ventriloquism  and  reckless  daring. 

Michael  Harvey  came  from  Georgia.  His  wife  was  Mary  Clowers. 
They  first  settled  on  Pearl  River,  in  1808,  below  Columbia,  the  same 
year  that  his  son,  Harris  Harvey,  was  bom.  They  afterwards  settled 
near  China  Grove.  Their  sons  were:  Harris,  Daniel,  Evan,  Thomas, 
Doc,  Mike,  Pearl,  Sr.,  Jesse  and  Jack.  There  was  a Pearl  Harvey,  Jr., 
son  of  Harris,  who  was  a member  of  the  Quitman  Guards,  16th  Missis- 
sippi Regiment,  who  died  with  the  measles  at  Corinth  in  1861. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


71 


The  Harveys  constitute  a large  family  of  descendants.  Harris 
Harvey  married  Liddy  Smith,  daughter  of  Jerre  Smith.  Dan  married 
Melovie,  a sister  of  Liddy.  Each  of  these  brothers  raised  large  families 
of  sons  and  daughters  identified  with  Magees  Creek  and  its  vicinity. 
Evan  Harvey  owned  property  near  where  McComb  City  was  after- 
wards located,  becoming  one  of  the  original  pioneers  and  founders  of 
East  McComb.  Ruth,  a daughter  of  Michael  Harvey,  married  William 
Walker,  a son  of  John  Walker  and  Mary  Gates,  who  emigrated  to 
Mississippi  in  1814.  It  is  claimed  that  Michael  Harvey  dug  the  first 
well  in  Pike  County,  located  on  the  plantation  of  Irvin  R.  Quin,  near 
McComb  City.  The  descendants  of  these  people  will  be  spoken  of 
in  future  pages  of  this  work,  with  the  same  generation  of  others  con- 
stituting the  citizenship  of  Pike  County  in  this  interesting  period. 

William  Ravencraft  settled  in  the  Territory  in  the  early  part  of 
the  century  on  a little  stream  forming  one  of  the  head  tributaries  of 
Magees  Creek,  which  took  the  name  of  Ravencraft  Creek.  Like  all 
other  pioneer  settlers  who  built  grist  mills  at  that  period,  he  brought 
his  millstones  with  him  fixed  on  an  axle  like  a cart  and  drawn  by  an 
ox  or  horse.  All  the  millstones  we  have  any  record  of  brought 
to  the  Territory  from  South  Carolina,  of  which  water-mills  were  con- 
structed in  Pike,  were  transported  this  way.  South  Carolina  and 
Georgia  in  those  early  days  were  fruitful  of  ingenious  and  skilled 
mechanics.  William  Ravencraft  Was  one  of  this  number.  He  was 
a fine  cabinet-maker,  made  wagons,  chairs,  reels,  spinning  wheels, 
looms,  shuttles,  slays  and  fancy  white  hickory  hamper  baskets,  some 
of  which  are  in  use  to  this  day.  There  was  a man  here  then  from  Copen- 
hagen, Denmark,  named  Henry  Mundalow,  who  made  it  a business 
to  peddle  the  products  of  Ravencraft’s  shop  and  those  of  Wiley  Rush- 
ing, living  lower  down  on  Magees  Creek.  Much  of  the  furniture  made 
by  these  skilled  pioneers  was  transmitted  to  their  descendants  and 
are  in  use  the  present  day,  though  worn  by  frequent  scouring  with 
sand  to  keep  them  white.  The  family  in  Pike  without  its  spinning 
wheel,  reel  and  loom,  prior  to  the  Civil  War,  was  not  considered 
up-to-date.  The  long  distance  to  markets,  the  necessity  of  self- 
reliance  and  living  on  home  products,  gave  the  people,  men,  women 


72 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  girls  a schooling  which,  in  after  years,  demanded  of  them  the  exer- 
cise of  those  heroic  virtues  that  have  made  them  famous  throughout 
the  world  for  sublime  fortitude  and  unparalleled  patriotism.  William 
Ravencraft  and  Wiley  Rushings  on  Magees  Creek  and  the  Walkers 
down  on  Silver  Creek  and  the  Bogue  Chitto;  John  Warren,  Jesse  Day 
and  John  Stogner,  Simpson  Laurence  and  others,  though  poor  in 
purse,  are  recalled  as  the  mediums,  the  founders,  the  grandfathers 
of  these  splendid  characteristics  of  the  men  and  women  of  Pike  County 
in  the  days  and  years  that  tried  their  souls.  In  his  early  childhood 
the  writer  visited  many  of  these  places  of  industry  along  on  Magees 
Creek,  and  Was  familiar  with  their  location  over  a half  century  ago. 
The  mill  that  John  Warren  built  for  Ralph  Stovall  in  1817  below  China 
Grove  was  the  home  of  his  infant  years.  Visiting  this  spot  sixty 
years  later  he  finds  the  foundations,  and  where  his  childhood  feet 
toddled  a veritable  wilderness;  and  the  stone  that  makes  the  name 
of  William  Ravencraft  live  in  history  imbedded  in  the  little  stream 
over  which  it  clattered  then.*  William  Ravencraft’s  property  des- 
cended to  his  son  Joe,  who  inherited  the  mechanical  genius  of  his 
father  and  kept  up  the  business  assisted  by  his  son  George  during 
his  lifetime.  In  the  meantime  the  waters  of  Ravencraft  Creek  began 
to  fail  and  the  little  grist  mill  being  very  small  and  running  so  slowly, 
it  took  a whole  night  to  grind  a hopper  full  (about  a bushel)  of  com. 

Thomas  J.  Connally,  the  blacksmith,  afterward  known  as  “Talla- 
bolv,”  who  married  Sally  McNabb  and  was  living  at  “ ’Possum  Trot,” 
told  the  story  on  Ravencraft’s  mill  in  his  shop  one  day:  That  being 
belated  one  night  on  business  in  that  section  on  account  of  the  absence 
of  roads  and  darkness  he  got  turned  round  and  didn’t  know  which 
route  to  pursue.  After  awhile  he  heard  a dog  baying  and  concluded 
to  go  to  it,  consoling  himself  that  he  would  probably  get  a big  fat 
“ ’possum”  for  dinner  for  Sally  and  the  children.  It  was  only  at 
intervals  the  dog  would  bay,  boo,  Woo!  boo  woo!  Coming  nearer 
he  heard  a clattering  noise  and  the  splashing  of  water,  and  now  and 
then,  boo  woo!  His  heart  leaped  with  joy  over  the  prospect  of  that 

*Since  recovered  by  Elisha  Thornhill  on  Love’s  Creek,  residing  on  the  old 
Forest  homestead. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


73 


fat  ’possum.  He  knew  Sally  and  the  children  would  be  fed.  He 
could  well  afford  to  lay  in  the  woods  all  night  and  sleep  soundly  too 
with  the  assurance  that  Sally  would  be  provided  for.  When  he 
reached  the  baying  dog  he  was  struck  with  astonishment.  It  was 
Ravencraft’s  mill  doing  its  nightly  work  grinding  com  into  meal,  and 
the  dog  in  the  box  eating  it  as  it  came  out  of  the  chute.  He  would 
lick  it  up  and  then  raise  his  head 
and  eyes  heavenward  and  boo  woo 
for  some  more  meal.  Said  he,  “I 
wound  my  way  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness that  night  a wiser  but  sad  and 
disappointed  man.  No  ’possum 
for  Sally.” 

The  sons  of  Owen  Conerly,  Sr., 
settled  around  him  in  the  vicinity 
of  China  Grove,  except  Cullen,  who 
married  Le\  isa  Lewis.  He  bought 
the  Thornhill  place  in  the  fork  of 
Magees  Creek  and  Dry  Creek.  He 
erected  a set  of  mills,  saw,  gin  and 
grist,  over  Dry  Creek  above  its 
junction  with  Magees  Creek, 
bought  out  a store  from  Garland 
Hart,  and  established  a postoffice 
which  was  called  Conerly’s  post- 
office.  Owen  Conerly,  Jr.,  who 
after  the  death  of  his  father  in  1848,  bought  the  Gordon  place  two 
miles  north  of  China  Grove,  and  in  1852  and  1853  built  a mill  over 
Magees  Creek  there,  sold  it  to  his  brother  James;  then  it  passed  to 
Joseph  Luter,  and  is  now  owned  by  Mr.  Rushing.  William  and  John 
R.  (Jackie)  emigrated  to  Western  Louisiana,  the  former  subsequently 
returning  to  Pike. 

Maj.  Owen  Conerly,  a nephew  of  Owen,  Sr.,  was  a son  of  John 
Conerly  in  North  Carolina.  He  married  Susan  Tynes  and  settled 
near  the  Marion  and  Pike  County  line,  east  of  China  Grove.  He  was 


Owen  Conerly 
The  Author’s  Father 


74 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


a wheelwright,  carriage  maker  and  farmer,  and  was  noted  for  keeping 
a large  flock  of  goats.  He  raised  a large  family  of  children,  sons  and 
daughters  who  have  always  been  identified  with  that  section  of  Pike. 
One  of  the  brothers  of  Maj.  0.  William  Conerly  settled  on  Pearl  River. 
The  children  of  Owen  Conerly,  Sr.,  married  as  follows:  Cullen  married 
Levisa  Lewis,  a daughter  of  Martin  Lewis,  of  Marion  County. 

Owen,  Jr.,  married  Ann  Louisa 
Stephens,  of  New  Orleans,  a daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  James  Stephens,  an 
eminent  Irish  linguist  and  sur- 
geon, an  attache  of  the  staff  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  and  Ann 
Lawn,  daughter  of  Buxton  Lawn 
and  Mary  Dawson,  or  Dorson,  of 
London,  England.  She  was  a 
school  teacher,  and  came  out  in 
this  region  to  Joe  Kirkland’s,  who 
had  married  an  elder  sister,  and 
settled  on  Kirklands  Creek.  She 
was  a niece  of  Col.  William  B. 
Ligon’s  wife,  Eliza  Lawn. 

John  R.  Conerly  married  Eliza- 
beth Tines.  William  married 
Caroline  Stams,  with  whom  he 
raised  James,  Jr.,  and  Mark.  Two 
other  sons,  John  and  William,  who 
died  young.  He  subsequently 
married  Margaret  Connally,  daughter  of  Price  Connally,  from  Georgia, 
sister  to  “Tallyboly”  and  to  William  Tyler’s  wife  and  to  George, 
Crosby,  Jack  and  Rebecca.  They  had  one  daughter,  Lulu.  James 
Conerly  married  Mary  Lamkin,  daughter  of  Sampson  L.  Lamkin,  the 
surveyor.  Eliza  married  Jesse  Ball,  giving  him  three  sons  and  a 
daughter — William,  Newton  and  Needham  and  Rebecca.  Lived  on 
Magees  Creek.  Emily  married  Daniel  Ball,  Marion  County.  Mary 
Jane  first  married  Jabez  Lewis,  brother  to  Cullen’s  wife,  and  raised 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


75 


one  child,  Mira,  who  married  Monroe  Smith.  She  afterward,  as  widow 
by  death,  married  Benjamin  Lampton,  son  of  William  Lampton,  a 
brick  mason  from  Kentucky,  who  made  his  beginning  on  a little  farm 
north  of  Tylertown,  formerly  Conerly’s  postoffice. 

Gilbert  Grubbs  came  from  Georgia.  He  married  Elizabeth  Sandi- 
fer.  She  was  a daughter  of  Peter  Sandifer,  Sr.,  who  settled  on  Magees 
Creek  in  1820,  the  year  of  the  great  Pacific-Atlantic  hurricane,  and  a 
sister  of  William,  Jackson,  Peter,  Jr.,  and  Robert.  Gilbert  settled  on 
Union  Creek  in  the  same  period  with  John  Warren.  He  was  the 
father  of  Benjamin  Grubbs,  Peter  and  Gilbert,  Jr.  Benjamin  was 
the  father  of  Henry  Grubbs.  His  wife  was  Ellen  Gartman,  a daughter 
of  Bartholemew  Gartman,  from  Germany.  Bartholemew  Gartman ’s 
wife  was  a daughter  of  Daniel  O’Quin,  Nellie,  from  North  Carolina. 
Her  brothers  were  Daniel,  Ezekiel  and  Jehu  O’Quin.  Bartholemew 
Gartman  and  Nellie  O’Quin  were  the  parents  of  George,  David,  Josiah, 
John  and  Perry  Gartman  and  Cynthia,  who  married  Joe  Deer;  Katie, 
who  married  Charles  Carter  in  Louisiana;  Mary,  who  married  Elias 
Smith;  Caroline,  who  married  William  Grubbs,  and  Ellen,  who  mar- 
ried Benjamin  Grubbs. 

George  Gartman  married  Sarah  Holmes,  daughter  of  Elisha 
Holmes,  Jr. 

Henry  Grubbs  married  Lenoir  Angeline  Ellzey,  daughter  of  Louis 
Ellzey  and  Mary  Ann  Holmes. 

Henry  Grubbs  owns  the  plantation  on  Magees  Creek  settled  by  a 
man  named  Toney  about  1798,  who  sold  it  to  Robert  Sandifer,  who 
built  the  hewed-log  house  on  it  now  occupied  by  its  present  owner. 
It  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  brother  John,  who  sold  it  to  Sampson  L. 
Lamkin,  a son  of  William  Lamkin. 

John  Snead  married  Mary  Gooch  in  Georgia.  They  were  the 
parents  of  Keziah  Snead,  who  was  the  wife  of  William  Lamkin,  the 
father  of  Sampson  L.  Lamkin  the  surveyor,  and  John  T.  Lamkin,  the 
eminent  lawyer  of  Pike  County.  The  tombstones  marking  the  graves 
of  William  Lamkin  and  Mary  Gooch  Snead  can  be  seen  on  this  place 
carefully  preserved  by  Henry  Grubbs  and  his  wife. 


76 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Dr.  McAlpin  married  Cathorine  Wilkinson  in  North  Carolina. 
She  was  a sister  of  Mary  and  Rebecca,  wives  of  Owen,  Sr.,  and  Luke 
Conerly.  With  Dr.  McAlpin  she  had  two  sons,  Patrick  and  Mark. 
Dr.  McAlpin  dying  early,  these  two  boys  were  raised  and  educated  by 
Luke  Conerly.  Cathorine  afterwards  married  Calvin  Magee,  a Baptist 
minister,  who  emigrated  to  Sabine  Parish,  Louisiana.  Patrick  became 
a school  teacher  and  taught  in  the  little  old  log  schoolhouse  at  China 
Grove.  It  was  here  that  this  writer  sat  upon  his  knees  and  learned 
to  know  what  A and  B were,  at  the  point  of  his  little  ivory  handled 
penknife.  Fanny  Conerly,  a sister  to  Owen,  Sr.,  and  Luke,  married 
Cullen  Duncan,  and  becoming  a widow  she  married  Elijah  Tumage. 
She  was  the  mother  of  James  Duncan.  Polly  Conerly,  another  sister, 

married  Guy,  the  father  of  William  Guy,  ancestors  of  the  Guys 

in  Amite  and  Pike  Counties. 

Chelly  married  a Blunt  in  Covington  County,  and  another  sister 
married  Isaac  Newton  in  Laurence,  and  they  are  the  ancestors  of  the 
Blunts  and  Newtons  in  that  section  of  South  Mississippi. 

Quinney  Lewis  Was  a brother  of  Martin  Lewis  and  Judge  Lemuel 
(Lammy)  Lewis,  of  Marion  County.  He  and  his  wife,  Patsey  (Uncle 
Quinney  and  Aunt  Patty),  were  contemporaneous  with  the  Conerlys. 
They  were,  like  them,  devout  Methodists.  Their  home  was  on  Magees 
Creek  some  four  or  five  miles  below  China  Grove.  They  were  great 
pillars  of  the  Church  here  along  with  the  Woodruffs,  the  Youngbloods, 
the  Conerlys  and  the  Sartins.  Quinney  Lewis  and  his  devoted  wife 
furnished  two  able  ministers  to  the  Mississippi  Conference,  Henry  P. 
and  Wfflliam  Bryant  Lewis,  and  a number  of  their  descendants 
belong  to  the  ministry.  They  were  the  parents  of  Barney  Lewis,  one 
of  the  pioneer  newspaper  men  of  Pike  County,  located  at  Holmesville 
with  Robert  Ligon.  Barney  Lewis  married  Keziah,  daughter  of 
Sampson  L.  Lamkin  and  Narcissa  Sessions. 

In  1836  Col.  Wm.  B.  Ligon  obtained  a large  tract  of  land  from  the 
Government  about  five  miles  south  of  China  Grove  and  settled  there. 
Colonel  Ligon  had  lived  in  Covington  and  owned  a line  of  schooners 
working  through  the  lakes  and  plying  between  Covington,  New  Orleans 
and  Pensacola.  He  had  taken  an  active  part  with  Gen.  Andrew 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


77 


Jackson  in  1814  and  1815.  He  had  participated  with  the  American 
colonists  of  Texas  in  their  struggle  for  independence  from  Mexico, 
and  was  wounded  in  one  of  the  battles.  He  Was  a man  of  consider- 
able means  when  he  settled  here,  and  engaged  in  merchandise,  farming 
and  keeping  the  postoffice,  which  he  had  named  China  Grove.  He  was 
a native  of  Virginia,  emigrated  to  South  Carolina,  thence  to  New 
Orleans,  and  married  Eliza  Lawn,  daughter  of  Buxton  Lawn,  of 
London,  England,  and  Mary  Dawson,  or  Dorson.  He  had  a brother 
who  lived  at  Rienza  in  Tishomingo  County.  The  names  of  his  children 
are  Robert,  William  B.,  Jr.,  John,  Buxton,  Lemuel  T.  and  Charles  A., 
and  his  daughters  were  Mary,  Elizabeth  Ann,  Susan  and  Martha. 

Robert  married  Angeline  Bearden;  William  B.,  Jr.,  married  Annor 
Barr  and  Mary  Stovall,  second  wife;  John,  Sally  J.  Moseby,  of  Jack- 
son,  Hinds  County;  Buxton,  Miss  Barrett,  of  Hinds  County;  Lemuel 
Thomas,  Mellie  Muse,  of  Louisiana;  Charles  died  a bachelor;  Eliza- 
beth Ann  married  Lemuel  Jackson  Quin — their  children  are  as  fol- 
lows: Irvin  Alonzo,  who  married  Lizzie  Luter;  Martha  Eliza,  died 
early;  Mary  Arvazena,  wife  of  Elisha  C.  Andrews;  Lucy  Marcella, 
wife  of  William  Huey;  Alice  Cornelia,  first  husband  Sam  Stuart, 
second  husband  Dr.  Cole;  Laura  Virginia,  died  young;  George  Nichol- 
son Quin,  who  married  Sarah  Brumfield;  John  Ligon  Quin,  who  mar- 
ried Ida,  daughter  of  Giles  Lewis;  Lemuel  Gracey  Quin,  who  married 
Alice,  daughter  of  Giles  Lewis;  Nancey  Bridges,  wife  of  Luther  Bums; 
Josephus  Murray  Quin,  who  married  Minnie  Shontell;  Sarah  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  David  Bums;  Susan,  John  Shilling  and  Martha,  Dave 
Ford. 

On  account  of  the  part  taken  by  him  in  the  independence  of  Texas, 
Colonel  Ligon  was  allotted  a large  tract  of  land  in  Texas  by  the  Repub- 
lic, but  he  never  thought  enough  of  it  to  prove  and  claim  it.  Land  at 
that  time  being  so  cheap  in  Texas  it  was  not  considered  worth  the 
expense  and  trouble  to  acquire  the  deed.  While  engaged  in  the  schooner 
trade  between  Covington  and  Pensacola  he  owned  a negro  slave  who 
was  one  of  his  trusty  sailors,  but  who  was  subject  to  trance  spells 
which  sometimes  lasted  for  several  days.  On  one  trip  he  employed 
two  new  sailors  as  helpers  on  the  schooner  run  by  the  negro,  and  they 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


being  ignorant  of  the  nature  of  these  spells  thought  him  dead  and 
threw  him  overboard,  to  the  great  sorrow  of  his  master.  He  was  a 
Methodist  and  pillar  in  the  Church,  but  not  demonstrative  in  religion. 
He  was  a man  of  high  character,  honorable  purposes,  a soldier  of 
worth,  and  as  such  and  a citizen  of  Pike  County  has  left  an  untarnished 
record  to  be  proudly  remembered  by  his  descendants. 

In  these  early  years  of  the  settlement  of  Magees  Creek  we  have  no 
record  of  any  doctors  except  those  of  the  Thomsonian  practice. 
Owen  and  Luke  Conerly  and  their  wives,  “Aunt  Polly”  and  “Aunt 
Becca,”  as  they  were  called,  were  usually  relied  on  in  all  extreme  cases 
except  surgery.  Dr.  Wiley  P.  Harris  was  at  Holmesville,  fifteen  and 
twenty  miles  distant.  Later  on  Dr.  McQueen  came  from  Washington 
Parish,  and  eventually  Drs.  Booth,  May  and  Payne.  Composition 
tea  and  lobelia  was  a favorite  prescription  for  fevers,  measles,  etc., 
and  a great  medicine  made  by  the  settlers  was  called  “Black  Medicine,” 
concocted  from  the  star  grass  roots,  and  given  as  a spring  tonic. 

John  Sartin,  Jr.,  son  of  John  Sartin,  Sr.,  and  Margaret  Barnes, 
married  Seleta  Craft,  daughter  of  John  Craft,  from  Tennessee,  and 
lived  on  what  is  known  as  the  old  Salty  place,  originally  settled  by 
Owen  Elliott,  on  Canada  Branch,  one  of  the  head  tributaries  of  Magees 
Creek.  He  established  a tannery  on  Tilton  Creek  in  Marion  County, 
which  was  used  in  the  interest  of  the  Confederacy  during  the  Civil 
War.  Their  son,  William  Sartin,  served  in  Pierce’s  cavalry  company 
from  Marion  under  Colonel  Peyton  and  General  Woods. 

John  Craft,  Sr.,  had  two  brothers,  James  and  Major.  James  mar- 
ried Ebiline  Thompson,  a sister  of  Parham,  Sr.,  and  Parish,  Sr. 

Major  Craft  married  Nancey  Hamilton,  sister  to  John  Craft’s  wife, 
and  Mrs.  Bearden.  Major  Craft  was  the  father  of  Dr.  Sidney  M. 
Craft,  who  lived  in  Hinds  County,  near  or  at  Jackson. 

James  had  two  sons,  Hugh  and  Jack,  and  five  daughters. 

James  M.  Buckley  married  “Nug,”  the  mother  of  Gov.  A.  H. 
Longino’s  wife.  Hugh  Craft  killed  Quince  Cooper,  who  was  pursuing 
him  with  a drawn  knife  around  a house,  and  Hugh  shot  him  to  death 
with  a Colt’s  repeater.  It  was  clearly  a justifiable  homicide,  and 
nothing  was  done  about  it. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


79 


Melie  Manning  and  Nancey  Deer  were  married  in  South  Carolina 
and  came  to  Pike  in  1839  and  settled  on  Ravencraft  Creek.  Their 
son  John  married  Elizabeth  Sandifer,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
Joseph  M.,  John  W.,  Moses  Moak  and  Westly  J.  Manning. 

Joseph  Parker  and  his  wife,  Mila  Deer,  came  from  Barnwell  Dis- 
trict, South  Carolina,  and  settled  on  Vamal.  Their  children  were 
William,  Sarah  and  Nancey. 

Jeremiah  Bearden  came  from  Tennessee  and  married  Rachael 
Hamilton.  He  was  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  Holmesville,  and, 
in  company  with  Reddick  Sparkman,  built  the  first  hotel  there.  It 
was  subsequently  known  as  the  Johnson  Hotel,  kept  by  William 
Johnson,  who  married  widow  Richmond,  a daughter  of  Reddick 
Sparkman.  The  children  of  Jeremiah  Bearden  and  Rachael  Hamilton 
were  Jack,  and  Nancey  who  married  John  Barnes,  father  of  Pink  and 
Clinton  C.  Barnes,  and  afterward  married  Matthew  McEwen;  Delilah, 
wife  of  Judge  H.  M.  Quin,  and  Angeline,  wife  of  Robert  Ligon.  These 
girls  were  twins.  Jeremiah  Bearden  subsequently  settled  on  Topi- 
saw  and  died  there.  His  wife  lived  to  be  very  old  and  died  in  1870. 

George  Ratlift,  a slave  of  Richard  Ratlift,  purchased  his  freedom 
from  the  Ratliff  estate.  He  was  a fine  mechanic  and  hired  his  time 
from  his  master.  He  was  a mulatto,  a good  man  and  was  well  thought 
of  by  the  whites.  He  married  a slave  woman  of  his  own  race  and  was 
honored  with  a splendid  dinner  given  by  the  white  people  of  Magees 
Creek.  Pie  settled  a farm  on  Darbun  and  was  the  founder  of  George- 
town, located  on  the  head  of  Darbun  in  the  northeast  comer  of  the 
county. 

Other  noted  slaves  on  Magees  Creek  were  Austin  Bracey,  Daniel 
and  Griffin  Ratliff,  Prime  Ball,  Mose  Conerly,  Rans  Lewis,  Harry  and 
Ike  Conerly.  The  latter  was  a preacher,  a teamster,  and  managed 
the  log-cart  for  his  master’s  mill.  He  sang  his  songs  and  preached  to 
his  oxen  and  prayed  for  them  and  his  people.  To  him  life  as  a slave 
was  sweeter  and  happier  than  it  was  when  emancipation  endowed  him 
with  citizenship,  and  forced  upon  him  the  responsibility  of  providing 
for  himself  and  family.  And  old  Aunt  Becca,  his  master’s  cook.  The 
writer  remembers  when  in  his  tender  childhood  he  went  to  grandpa’s 


80 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  Aunt  “Becca”  took  him  upon  her  knees  in  the  kitchen  and  caressed 
him  and  gave  him  the  best  there  was  in  the  pot  and  fed  him  with  the 
little  “niggers”  under  the  massive  shade  trees  with  buttermilk  and 
potlicker  and  bread. 

Harriet  Beecher  Stowe  and  other  Northern  writers  have  given  to 
the  world  the  darkest  picture  of  an  institution  for  which  the  Southern 
people  were  not  responsible,  but  brought  to  them  by  the  slave  specu- 
lators of  the  New  England  States. 

Charles  Smith  and  his  wife,  Nelly  Hickenbottom,  came  from  South 
Carolina  in  1811  and  settled  on  Magees  Creek,  west  side,  below  China 
Grove,  near  Peter  Sandifer.  Their  children  were  Elias,  who  married 
Mary  Gartman;  Zachariah,  Pharo,  Joseph  and  Charles. 

Bill  Finny  settled  on  Kirklands  Creek  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
Magees.  According  to  tradition  nearly  all  new  settlements  have  had 
their  Bill  Finny.  Whether  this  is  a myth  or  whether  the  story  of 
Pike’s  Bill  Finny  went  abroad  is  not  known.  It  is  a fact,  however, 
according  to  tradition  from  the  original  settlers  of  Magees  Creek,  that 
there  was  a William  Finny  who  settled  on  Kirklands  Creek.  It  is 
related  of  this  man  that  he  had  an  aversion  to  work  and  failed  to 
produce  com  to  bread  his  family,  and  his  neighbors  got  tired  of  pro- 
viding it  for  him,  and  held  a meeting  to  determine  what  should  be 
done  with  him  without  violating  the  statutes.  It  wouldn’t  'do  to 
hang  him  or  shoot  him  or  knock  him  on  the  head  with  a pine  knot. 
After  long  parleying  it  was  determined  to  bury  him  alive.  There 
was  no  law  “agin”  that.  So  they  made  a box  and  put  it  in  a cart 
and  went  after  Bill.  They  found  him  stretched  out  on  the  gallery 
as  usual.  They  informed  him  of  the  decision  of  the  court  and  he 
offered  no  objection  nor  made  any  resistance,  and  they  picked  him 
up  and  laid  him  in  the  box  in  the  cart  and  proceeded  to  a distant 
burying  ground.  On  the  way  they  met  a neighbor  who  enquired 
what  was  the  matter.  “Nothing,  we  are  only  going  to  bury  Bill 
Finny.” 

“What!  Is  Bill  dead?” 

“No;  we  are  going  to  bury  him  alive.” 

“For  what?” 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


81 


"Because  he  has  no  corn  to  make  bread  for  his  family,  wont  raise 
any  and  we  are  tired  of  furnishing  it.” 

"Don’t  do  that,  men;  I’ll  let  him  have  some  com.” 

Bill  lazily  turned  his  eyes  in  the  direction  of  his  sympathetic  friend 
and  asked: 

"Is  it  shelled?” 

“No,  it  is  not ; you  will  have  to  shell  it.” 

"Then  drive  on  the  cart,”  said  Bill. 

And  they  drove  it  on  and  dumped  him  out  in  the  graveyard  and 
left  him  there. 

John  Stalling  settled  near  the  confluence  of  Kirklands  and  Magees 
Creeks.  He  came  from  South  Carolina.  His  wife  was  Nancey  Dillon. 
When  he  settled  there  no  salt  could  be  had  nearer  than  Natchez, 
a distance  of  a hundred  miles.  He  walked  to  Natchez  by  such  paths 
as  he  could  find,  did  little  jobs  of  work  to  pay  for  it  and  packed  it 
home  on  his  shoulder.  They  had  one  daughter,  who  married  John 
Williams.  Their  son,  James  Stalling,  married  Sally  Pearson,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  Winnie,  who  married  Eli  Brock;  Jane,  who  mar- 
ried Calvin  Simmons;  Eliza,  who  married  James  Simmons;  Margaret, 
who  married  E.  C.  Holmes;  Nancy,  who  married  W.  J.  Holmes. 
Their  other  sons  were  John,  Jeff  and  Willie. 

Jacob  Owen  was  bom  in  South  Carolina  in  1780  and  his  wife, 
Mary  Googe,  in  1784.  They  settled  on  Dry  Creek  between  1800  and 
1805.  They  moved  from  South  Carolina  on  horseback.  He  built 
a small  grist  mill  on  Dry  Creek,  but  on  account  of  scarcity  of  water 
he  afterwards  went  lower  down  and  built  another  mill,  which  subse- 
quently fell  into  the  hands  of  Boardman  and  Tyler. 

Tylertown  was  first  known  as  the  Magee  Settlement.  Cullen 
Conerly  went  there  in  1850  and  became  the  owmer  of  the  quarter 
section  lying  due  north  of  the  Thornhill  tract,  and  bought  out  the 
Garland  Hart  store  and  established  a postoffice  which  was  called 
Conerly’s  postoffice,  and  the  place  bore  that  name  for  many  years. 
He  erected  a mill  about  a half  mile  below  the  Owens  or  Tyler  mill 
and  farmed  on  his  plantation.  This  he  sold  to  Ephriam  Rushing,  and 
his  mercantile  interest  was  sold  to  Benjamin  Lampton,  who -had  mar- 


82 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


ried  his  sister,  Mary  J.  Conerly,  the  widow  of  Jabez  Lewis,  and  here 
Benjamin  Lampton  laid  the  foundation  of  the  mercantile  business  of 
Tylertown,  and  which,  through  the  business  tact  of  his  sons,  has  grown 
to  such  large  proportions  and  become  famous  in  Pike  County  and  in 
Laurence  and  Marion. 


George  Smith’s  Water  Mill  and  Dam  over  Kirklands  Creek,  Southeast  Pike  County 
Mr.  Smith  is  standing  on  the  framework  of  the  dam,  and  members  of  his  family- 
are  in  the  mill  building.  Mr.  Smith  is  a Confederate  Veteran  of 
Co.  E,  16th  Miss.,  Harris’  Brigade,  A.  N.  V. 


Clarkston  Dillon  settled  on  Bogue  Chitto.  Clara  Dillon  married 
George  Smith,  Sr.  She  and  Willis,  Theopholis  and  Laurence  were 
children  of  Richard  Dillon. 

Tylertown  has  always  been  considered  a part  of  Magees  Creek, 
though  the  village  as  now  located  is  on  Dry  Creek,  which  empties 
into  Magees  Creek  a short  distance  below.  Its  first  settlement  dates 
back  to  the  emigration  of  the  Magees  and  Thornhills.  William  Thorn- 
hill and  his  wife,  Liddy  Breland,  came  from  South  Carolina  and  settled 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


83 


here.  They  had  a son,  Elisha,  who  was  bom  in  South  Carolina  in 
1799.  His  wife  was  Mary  Carr.  Their  children  were  William  B., 
Hillary  B.,  Elizabeth,  Isham,  John  M.,  Brian,  Mary  Ann,  James  W., 
Millie  Ann  and  Susan  Ann. 

Tylertown  is  located  on  a tract  of  land  originally  acquired  by 
J.  Thornhill  September  20,  1816. 

By  custom  the  place  got  to  be  called  Tyler- 
town, and  the  postoffice  was  changed  to  that 
name  in  honor  of  W.  G.  Tyler. 

William  G.  Tyler  came  from  Boston,  Mass., 
and  was  an  artillery  soldier  under  Gen.  Andrew 
Jackson  in  the  War  of  1812  and  1815  against 
the  hostile  Creeks  and  their  British  allies,  and 
participated  in  the  battle  of  New  Orleans 
(Chalmette)  in  1815,  which  settled  the  fate  of 
the  English  arms  in  America.  He  was  a can- 
noneer and  delighted  in  artillery  practice.  He 
was  a splendid  blacksmith,  and  moulded  the 
small  mortars  used  to  fire  salutes  on  public 

occasions.  His  wife  was  Mary  Connally,  daughter  of  Price  Connally,  a 
blacksmith  from  Georgia,  and  Mary  Corker,  whom  he  married  in  St. 
Helena  Parish,  Louisiana.  They  raised  five  children,  William  Thaddeus 
Tyler,  who  married  Mollie  Quin,  daughter  of  Judge  James  B.  Quin  and 
Narcissa  Smith;  Lizzie,  who  married  Newton  Ball;  Safrona,  who  mar- 
ried Mark  R.  Conerly;  Fanny,  who  married  Frank  McLain;  Sarah, 
who  married  John  Alford. 

Cullen  Conerly  and  his  wife,  Levisa  Lewis,  were  the  parents  of 
Owen,  Jr.,  No.  2,  who  married  Teletha  Warner.  Owen  was  color- 
bearer  of  the  33d  Mississippi  Regiment  of  Featherstone’s  Brigade,  and 
was  killed  in  the  desperate  assault  on  the  enemies’  works  at  the  battle 
of  Franklin,  Tenn.  John  M.,  William  M.,  Mary  Ann  (Polly),  Rebecca, 
Eliza,  Cathorine  and  Martha.  John  M.  Conerly’s  first  wife  was  Jane 
Lampton,  daughter  of  William  Lampton,  of  Kentucky,  and  sister  to 
Benjamin,  James  and  Frank.  William  M.  Conerly  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Harris  Harvey.  Polly  married  John  Colquhoun;  Rebecca 


Wm.  G.  Tyler 
Tylertown 


84 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


married  Loftlin  Colquhoun;  Cathorine  (Kitty),  W.  H.  H.  Brumfield, 
and  Martha,  Needham  Holmes. 

Chauncey  Collins  was  from  Salisberry,  Conn.;  bom  in  1810,  he 
came  to  Mississippi  in  1840  and  married  Amelia,  daughter  of  Elias 
Woodruff  and  Ailsey  Collins,  of  Columbia,  Marion  County,  in  1842. 
He  settled  on  a little  stream  emptying  into  Magees  Creek  southeast 
of  Tylertown  and  a little  below  the  junction  of  Dry  Cieek  with  that 
stream.  It  acquired  the  name  of  Collins  Creek  f;  om  him.  Here  he 
established  a tannery  and  shoe  shop,  and  lived  the  rest  of  his  life. 
He  had  been  a clock  merchant  for  some  years.  He  kept  his  hides 
in* tan  vats  for  two  years  and  made  the  most  lasting  shoe  to  be  had. 
Everybody  almost  in  the  country  patronized  him  when  they  could 
obtain  his  goods  He  was  a highly  intelligent  man,  a fine  historian 
and  conversationalist.  His  Wife  had  two  brothers — William,  who 
went  to  Florida,  and  Seth  Woodruff,  who  went  to  DeSoto  Parish, 
Louisiana.  His  children  were  Caroline  Victoria,  who  married  Daniel 
Tate;  Julia  E.,  who  married  J.  A.  Morris;  Frederick  W.,  Warren  N., 
Seth  W.,  George  H.,  Chauncey  and  Wesley. 

Elias  Woodruff  was  from  Newark,  N.  J.,  whose  father,  Seth  Wood- 
ruff, was  one  of  three  brothers  who  came  from  England  to  New  Jersey. 
Seth  Woodruff  removed  to  New  Albany,  Ind.  He  was  a Baptist 
preacher  and  probate  judge,  and  baptized  the  first  person  ever  bap- 
tised in  the  Ohio  River  up  to  that  time  and  at  that  point. 

The  Woodruffs  of  New  York  State  and  New  Jersey  are  descendants 
of  the  above-mentioned  three  brothers. 

Elias  Woodruff  wandered  from  New  Jersey  and  came  to  the  newly 
constituted  Mississippi  Territory.  For  many  years  he  was  considered 
by  his  people  as  a lost  member  of  the  family,  as  they  could  not  hear 
from  him.  At  length  means  were  provided  and  a brother  was  sent 
to  search  for  him.  After  long  months  of  overland  travel,  without  a 
single  clue,  except  that  Elias  had  gone  to  the  Mississippi  Territory, 
working  his  way  through  the  deep  forests,  by  ways  and  paths,  his 
brother  found  him  in  Pike  on  his  little  pine-woods  farm  where  he  had 
settled  below  China  Grove,  on  Magees  Creek,  with  his  wife,  Ailsey 
Collins,  and  one  little  daughter,  Mary. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


85 


After  long  persuasion,  he  induced  them  to  return  with  him  to 
Newark,  N.  J.,  where  little  Mary  died,  after  which,  becoming  dissatis- 
fied they  returned  to  their  old  home  in  Pike  and  raised  a large  family 
of  sons  and  daughters,  among  them  Amelia,  the  wife  of  Chauncey 
Collins,  and  Lucetta  (who  married  W.  G.  Evans,  Sr.),  the  mother  of 
Hon.  W.  G.  Evans,  of  Gulfport,  ex-State  Senator.  Lucetta  died  while 
this  son  was  an  infant,  and  like  many  other  Southern  children  in  the 
past,  owed  much  of  the  care  given  him  to  a good  old  black  mammy; 
and  W.  G.  Evans  has  worked  his  way  up  to  a high  and  honorable  posi- 
tion among  his  fellowmen.  Ailsey  Collins,  his  maternal  grandmother, 
the  Wife  of  Elias  Woodruff,  was  a pious,  good  woman,  a member. of 
the  Methodist  Church  at  China  Grove  in  the  days  when  the  magnifi- 
cent eloquence  and  influence  of  Stephen  Ellis  united  the  early  settlers 
of  that  section  of  Magees  Creek,  in  the  establishment  of  a church  that 
has  been  kept  up  for  eighty  years,  and  the  influence  of  which  has  been 
sown  broadcast  over  the  land. 

Elias  Woodruff  was  a soldier  in  Jackson’s  army,  serving  in  the 
battle  of  Chalmette,  New  Orleans,  La.,  in  1815,  and  his  widow  drew 
a pension  from  the  government  up  to  the  time  of  her  death. 

Mrs.  Mary  Woodruff,  surviving  widow  of  Seth  Woodruff,  of  Louisi- 
ana, is  a native  of  Charlotte,  North  Carolina.  Her  maiden  name  Was 
Mary  S.  Ritch  and  she  is  a lineal  descendant  of  John  Ford,  one  of 
the  signers  of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  Independence.  Her 
brother,  Thomas  L.  Ritch,  of  Charlotte,  N.  C.,  served  during  the  civil 
war  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  the  famous  Confederate 
cavalry  general  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  under  Gen.  R.  E.  Lee. 

Western  Williams,  son  of  Moses  Williams  and  Eliza  Woodruff 
Williams,  of  Mansfield,  La.,  was  a Confederate  soldier  and  was  in  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg.  After  the  war  he  emigrated  to  Texas  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Maggie  Houston,  daughter  of  General  Sam  Houston,  of 
Texas.  Their  daughter,  Miss  Madge  Williams,  the  granddaughter  of 
Sam  Houston,  by  popular  selection,  christened  the  United  States 
battle-ship  Texas,  when  it  was  placed  in  commission  some  years  ago. 

Nelson  Payne  ran  away  from  his  parents  in  Tennessee  and  followed 
General  Carroll’s  command  in  their  long  march  to  New  Orleans,  and 


86 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


was  with  them  in  the  battle  of  Chalmette.  He  was  too  young  to  be 
enlisted,  but  remained  with  the  command  until  its  return  through  Pike 
County,  where  he  stopped  and  made  it  his  home.  He  subsequently 
married  a daughter  of  Benjamin  Morgan,  with  whom  he  had  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Wm.  Mac,  Thomas  W.,  Nelson  R.,  Wm.  Lafayette, 
Ann  and  S.  C.  Payne,  who  married  John  Kirby,  who  was  the  father 
of  John  H.  Kirby,  now  known  as  the  saw-mill  king  of  Texas;  also 
Mary  A.  C.,  the  wife  of  Jack  Craft. 

Nelson  Payne,  being  left  a widower,  he  subsequently  married 
Jemima  Owens,  with  whom  he  had  the  following  children:  Albert 
G.  C.,  Louis  J.  and  J.  B.  Payne  and  L.  C.,  who  married  Ben  Morgan; 
Morgana,  who  married  Westley  Sartin;  Laura  J.,  who  married  Marion 
Branton;  Alice,  who  married  Jesse  Harvey,  and  R.  E.,  who  married 
Tom  Harvey. 

Price  Connally  and  Mary  Corker  were  the  parents  of  Thomas  J. 
Connally  (Tallyboly),  who  married  Sally  McNabb;  George,  Crosby, 
Jackson  and  Rebecca. 

Wiley  Martin  married  Laura  Quin,  daughter  of  William  Quin,  who 
was  murdered  while  asleep  in  camp  on  a trip  to  Covington  with  William 
Catching,  in  Washington  Parish,  by  a negro  who  was  hung  for  the 
crime  in  Franklinton,  La.,  in  the  early  fifties. 

Matthew  Brown  married  Mary,  daughter  of  William  Sandifer. 

John  Laurence,  who  lived  on  Union  Creek,  married  Polly  Bardwell. 

In  1846  Owen  Conerly,  son  of  Owen  Conerly,  Sr.,  of  China  Grove, 
raised  a military  company  of  the  young  men  of  Magees  Creek  and  sur- 
rounding communities  for  service  in  the  Mexican  War,  then  being 
prosecuted  by  the  United  States  Government.  He  was  chosen  its 
captain  and  tendered  its  services  to  the  Government,  but  before  the 
company  could  reach  the  army  the  war  closed  and  the  volunteers 
disbanded.  Their  names  have  not  been  preserved  as  they  should  have 
been.  Simeon  Bullock  for  one  is  known  to  have  been  a member  of 
this  company. 

J.  Daniel  O’Brien  was  a native  of  Ireland  and  came  to  Canada  with 
his  parents  when  a boy.  He  served  in  the  Mexican  War  with  Vir- 
ginia troops  and  afterwards  went  to  North  Carolina  and  married  Mary 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


87 


Conklinton,  and  then  emigrated  to  Pike  County  and  settled  on  Magees 
Creek  below  Tylertown  in  the  early  fifties.  Sally  Dillon  married 
Wm.  Thomas  O’Brien,  Katie  Rushing  married  James  S.  O’Brien,  and 
after  her  death  he  married  her  sister,  Eveline  Dillon. 

Armistead  Hall  and  his  wife,  Rachael  O’Quin,  came  from  South 
Carolina  in  1816  and  located  in  the  Jake  Owens’  neighborhood  on 
Dry  Creek.  Their  children  were  Ezekiel  Hall,  who  married  Bertha 
Sandifer;  John,  who  married  Martha  Prewett ; Armistead,  Nancy  B., 
Thomas  David  Forest’s  first  wife;  Gracia,  who  married  Abraham 
Lazar;  Jane  and  Harriet,  twins,  who  married  James  Thornhill  and 
Leroy  Breland  respectively;  William  Hall,  brother  to  Ezekiel  Hall, 
married  a daughter  of  Jake  Owens;  Patsey  Hall  married  David 
O’Quin,  and  Barsheba,  Daniel  O’Quin. 

Richard  Dillon  was  bom  in  Ireland  and  came  to  South  Carolina 
prior  to  the  Revolutionary  War  and  joined  the  colonists  in  the  War 
with  Great  Britain.  He  was  captured  and  made  a prisoner  of  war, 
taken  back  to  England  and  compelled  to  work  in  a copper  shop  until 
the  close  of  the  war  when  he  was  liberated  and  returned  to  South 
Carolina,  and  with  his  wife  came  to  Mississippi  and  settled  on  Bogue 
Chitto,  at  what  is  known  as  Dillon’s  Bridge,  or  Dillontown.  They 
were  the  parents  of  Clarkson,  Laurence,  Willie  and  Theopolis. 

George  Smith,  Sr.,  and  his  wife,  Clara  Dillon,  settled  near  Dillon’s 
Bridge  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  in  1817.  Their  son,  Dort  Smith,  married 
Lucretia  Dykes,  whose  father  came  from  Georgia  and  settled  on  the 
Tangipahoa.  George  Smith,  Sr.,  had  a negro  slave  woman  named 
Rebecca,  who  recently  died  at  the  age  of  ninety-five.  She  was  a 
mother  at  fifteen  and  nursed  Dort  Smith  at  his  infancy.  A ferry- 
boat was  used  at  Dillontown  for  many  years.  In  1873  the  citizens  in 
the  community  built  a bridge,  and  they  rebuilt  it  after  it  was  washed 
down  by  a flood  in  the  riuer. 

G.  L.  Barnes,  a great  grandson  of  John  Barnes,  who  came  from 
Georgia  in  1798,  lives  near  this  place.  His  father  and  his  grandfather 
were  named  William. 

Jasper  Smith,  son  of  George  Smith,  Sr.,  and  Clara  Dillon,  married 
Mary  Holmes,  daughter  of  William  Holmes. 


88 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Dr.  N.  C.  Smith  married  Daniel  Smith’s  daaghter,  Melissa. 

Densmore  Smith  married  Nancy  and  Eliza  Smith  respectively, 
and  Pemissa,  Jeremiah  Smith. 

Dort  Smith  built  his  mill  over  Magees  Creek  in  i860. 

Jeremiah  Smith,  brother  of  George,  moved  from  South  Carolina 
before  the  others  came,  bringing  his  little  belongings  in  a cart. 

Richard  Dillon  married  Henry  Magees’  widow,  daughter  of  Eph- 
riam  Rushing. 

Henry  and  Fleet  Magee  were  brothers. 

Richard  Magee,  a faithful  negro  slave  of  Henry  Magees’,  was  bom 
on  Pushepatapa  eighty-nine  years  ago,  and  was  li\ing  when  these 
notes  were  taken  in  1902. 

William  G.  Tyler  owned  a faithful  negro  slave  named  Dick  who 
was  noted  for  his  great  strength  and  obedience  to  his  master.  Dick 
was  a powerful  man  and  worked  at  the  mill  and  cut  logs.  He  could 
cut  more  logs  in  a day  than  any  two  negroes  in  the  country.  It  is 
related  of  him  that  some  years  after  emancipation,  and  he  became 
separated  from  his  master  by  force  of  circumstances,  he  was  discharged 
by  an  employer  because  he  made  $15.00  in  one  week  cutting  stock 
logs  with  an  axe  at  10  cents  a log.  It  was  too  much  money  for  a negro 
to  earn  in  six  days  cutting  stock  logs,  was  the  reason  given  for  his 
discharge. 

Needham  Raiford  came  from  North  Carolina.  His  first  wife 
belonged  to  the  Penn  family  of  Louisiana.  He  was  a Methodist 
minister  and  filled  the  pulpit  during  his  lifetime  at  China  Grove.  He 
acquired  considerable  wealth  as  a cotton  planter,  in  land,  slaves  and 
stock,  and  employed  Joseph  Barr,  who  was  an  experienced  farmer 
and  manager.  His  plantation  is  located  a short  distance  south  of 
China  Grove  Church.  He  became  the  owner  of  the  entire  landed 
estate  of  Owen  Conerly,  Sr.,  about  1850,  at  administrator’s  sale, 
including  the  plantation  and  Ralph  Stovall  mill  property.  He  was 
fond  of  hunting,  and  on  one  of  his  trips  to  North  Carolina  he  procured 
some  long-eared  blue  speckled  deer  hounds.  They  were  slow  trailers, 
but  whenever  they  got  a smell  at  a deer’s  track  it  was  almost  certain 
to  become  somebody’s  venison.  They  stuck  to  their  game  for  days, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


89 


and  even  weeks.  On  one  occasion  they  started  a deer  on  Magees 
Creek,  chased  it  up  the  Darbun,  around  by  the  Waterholes  Church  in 
Marion  and  back,  and  then  out  on  Pearl  River  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Lenoir’s,  above  Columbia,  then  back  to  its  former  lair  on  Magees 
Creek  and  was  captured.  In  his  young  boyhood  the  writer  helped  to 
capture  several  of  these  animals  after  they  had  been  chased  for  days 
by  Raiford’s  hounds,  run  into  creeks  by  fresh  dogs  entering  the  chase. 

N.  B.  Raiford’s  first  wife  brought  him  no  issue,  and  during  the 
early  sixties,  having  been  left  a widower,  he  married  Miss  Emma 
Summers,  of  Smith  County.  With  her  a son  was  bom.  The  father 
died,  and  then  the  child,  and  the  mother  became  possessed  of  the  bulk 
of  the  estate.  She  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  A.  S.  Bishop.  She 
was  a lady  of  the  sweetest  and  most  charming  manners;  a lovely 
hostess  at  the  splendid  plantation  mansion  on  Magees  Creek.  She 
belonged  to  that  class  of  young  women  in  the  early  sixties  possessing 
those  virtues  which  commanded  the  chivalrous  attentions  of  Missis- 
sippi’s best  young  men. 

Owen  Conerly’s  mill  on  the  Gordon  place  was  erected  in  1852-53. 
Jeremiah  Fields,  Thomas  and  James  Barnett,  John  Colquhoun  and 
Lane  Wreatherford  were  the  millwrights  employed.  This  mill  was 
sold  to  his  brother  James  and  his  farm  was  traded  to  James  A.  Fer- 
guson for  mercantile  and  town  property  in  Holmesville.  While  own- 
ing this  mill  one  of  his  little  boys,  Robert,  six  years  old,  was  killed 
by  a stock  log  rolling  over  him  and  crushing  him  to  death  while  out 
in  the  woods  with  the  negro  driver  of  the  log-cart  (Harry).  The  log 
was  tying  on  the  side  of  a steep  hill,  supported  by  a small  hickory 
grub,  and  it  was  supposed  the  little  fellow  got  on  the  log,  and  rocking, 
gave  it  a start. 

The  children  raised  by  Owen  Conerly  and  Ann  Louisa  Stephens 
were  Chauncey  Porter  (Dr.),  Luke  W.,  Mary  Ann,  Buxton  R.,  Owen  F., 
Thomas  B.,  Samuel  L.  and  Edward  S.  Conerly.  There  were  others 
that  died  early,  Lula  and  Cecelia. 

When  Ralph  Stovall  owned  the  mill  he  built  over  Magees  Creek 
below  China  Grove  he  hauled  lumber  to  Covington,  La.,  a distance  of 
sixty-five  miles,  on  wagons  to  supply  customers  there. 


90 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Schools  have  been  maintained  at  China  Grove  and  at  Sartins 
almost  continuously  since  the  settlement  of  that  section.  Among 
the  teachers  who  served  in  the  community  were  Joseph  Smith,  Pat. 
rick  McAlpin,  Charles  and  Joseph  Bancroft.  These  were  pay  schools 
supported  by  parents  of  the  children.  There  was  no  public  school 
system  in  the  State.  All  the  schools  were  supported  by  tuition  fees 
given  the  teachers.  There  was  a public  school  fund  which  the  law 
provided  should  be  distributed  in  proportion  to  attendance  of  each 
child,  which  was  paid  to  the  parents  of  the  pupils,  but  so  small  as  to 
count  but  little. 

THE  LAMPTONS. 

In  1740,  Samuel  and  William  Lampton  came  to  Virginia  from 
England.  They  were  there  when  the  revolution  began  and  were  ardent 
colonial  patriots.  In  the  meantime  the  Earl  of  Durham  died,  and 
their  younger  brother  remained  in  England.  Samuel  Lampton,  who 
died  in  Virginia,  should  have  succeeded  to  the  earldom.  William 
Lampton  moved  to  Kentucky.  One  of  his  descendants,  William 
Lampton,  came  to  Mississippi  and  settled  in  Marion  County  near 
China  Grove.  He  was  the  father  of  Benjamin  Lampton,  James  and 
Frank  Lampton,  and  the  first  wife  of  John  M.  Conerly,  Elizabeth, 
Sarah  and  Lucy.  Samuel  L.  Clemens  (Mark  Twain),  President  Jef- 
ferson Davis,  Henry  Watterson,  of  the  Courier- Journal,  and  other 
distinguished  men  can  trace  their  lineage  back  to  Samuel  Lampton, 
who  ought  to  have  been  Earl  of  Durham.  It  is  said  there  was  an 
estate  of  over  $75,000,000  due  the  heirs  of  the  Earl  after  his  death. 
Benjamin  Lampton  and  his  wife,  Mary  Jane  Conerly,  were  the  parents 
of  Walter  M.,  Lucius  L.,  Thadeus  B.,  Iddo  W.,  Edward,  Mollie  and 
Cora. 

Benjamin  Youngblood,  in  company  with  Maj.  Benjamin  Bickham 
and  John  Brumfield,  came  from  South  Carolina  in  1811.  The  latter 
went  to  Washington  Parish.  He  and  wife  were  detained  in  Marion 
County  by  the  birth  of  his  son,  Joe,  and  remained  there  until  their 
death  at  the  age,  respectively,  of  ninety  years. 

Quinney  Lewis  and  his  wife,  Martha,  came  from  North  Carolina 
about  1820  and  settled  on  the  east  side  of  Pearl  River,  fifteen  miles 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


91 


south  of  Columbia.  They  remained  here  for  some  twenty-three 
years  and  associated  themselves  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  were  devout  Christians.  In  1843  they  moved  to  Pike  County 
and  settled  on  Magees  Creek  five  miles  south  of  China  Grove,  and 
pursued  the  occupation  of  farming  for  twelve  or  fourteen  years  and 
then  moved  to  Holmesville.  They  were  known  as  Uncle  Quinney 
and  Aunty  Patty.  He  was  bom  May  28,  1794,  and  died  on  his  place 
near  Holmesville  in  1881.  She  was  bom  in  1800  and  died  in  1875. 

They  raised  six  sons,  viz.:  Barney,  the  founder  and  editor  of  the 
Holmesville  Southron;  Martin,  Lemuel,  Henry  P.,  William  Bryant 
and  James  W.  Lewis. 

Their  daughters  were  Celia  Ann,  who  married  Warren  Alford ; Mary 
Jane,  who  married  Chestine  Allen;  Abigail  married  Ralph  Regan  in 
1845;  Elizabeth  married  Hyram  Ware,  first  husband,  killed  during 
the  Civil  War,  and  John  D.  Warner,  second  husband. 

Quinney  Lewis,  with  such  help  as  he  could  get,  constructed  the 
old  Pine  Grove  Church,  west  of  Magees  Creek,  about  1844.  He  and 
his  wife  were  ardent  workers  in  the  cause  of  Christianity  during  their 
entire  lifetime,  after  their  conversion  while  residing  in  Marion  County. 
There  was  not  a married  couple  in  Pike  County  who  were  manifestly 
more  devoted  to  each  other  and  to  their  religion  than  they  were. 
They  took  life  easy,  were  always  happy  and  could  always  find  time 
to  go  to  church,  to  Sunday-school  and  to  prayer-meeting,  and  their 
doors  were  open  for  the  entertainment  of  friends  on  all  occasions. 

About  1856  two  of  their  sons,  Henry  P.  and  William  Bryant,  were 
converted  to  religion  and  became  associated  with  the  Methodist 
Church.  Great  spiritual  revivals  were  held  at  Pine  Grove  and  at 
China  Grove,  and  it  was  at  the  latter  place  that  William  Bryant 
delivered  his  first  exhortation  when  not  more  than  sixteen  years  of 
age,  and  after  this  the  two  brothers  became  permanently  associated 
with  the  Mississippi  Conference'. 

WHEN  THE  STARS  FELL. 

In  1833  a great  meteoric  display  occurred.  There  are  a few  people 
living  in  Pike  County  yet,  white  and  black,  who  have  a vivid  recollec- 


92 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


tion  of  this  wonderful  phenomena.  It  was  on  a dark  night,  and  the 
shower  was  so  great  and  brilliant  as  apparently  to  set  the  whole 
heavens  ablaze.  The  ignorant  and  superstitious  were  frightened  and 
thought  it  portended  the  destruction  of  the  earth,  and  they  resorted 
to  prayer.  The  event  has  been  handed  down  and  spoken  of  by  those 
who  were  living  then  as  “When  the  stars  fell,”  and  many  old  negroes 
of  the  present  day  date  their  birth  back  to  that  period. 

In  1849  and  1850  a temperance  organization,  known  as  the  Sons 
of  Temperance,  was  organized  and  maintained  at  Holmesville  and  at 
China  Grove.  This  organization  excluded  women  as  members. 

In  1859  and  i860  another  temperance  organization,  known  as  the 
Social  Circle,  sprung  into  life,  taking  in  boys  and  girls  from  fifteen  up 
and  men  and  women. 

Martin  Lewis,  a brother  of  Quinney  Lewis,  came  from  North  Caro- 
lina in  1820.  His  wife’s  name  was  Nancy.  They  first  settled  on 
Ten  Mile  Creek  near  Waterholes  Church,  in  Marion  County,  near  the 
dividing,  line  of  Pike.  He  afterwards  moved  to  Stovall  Springs,  above 
Columbia,  where  he  died  in  1857.  He  and  his  wife  had  several  sons; 
Samuel,  Josiah,  Henry,  Barney,  Jabes  and  Silas.  Josiah  married  a 
Miss  Smith;  Henry’s  wife  was  Eliza  Faulk. 

Joseph  May  came  from  South  Carolina  in  the  latter  part  of  1700. 
He  was  the  father  of  Joseph  May,  Jr.,  who  married  Clarisa  Daughtery 
from  Tennessee,  and  they  settled  on  the  head  of  Magees  Creek  on  the 
old  homestead  yet  known  as  the  Jo  May  place.  Their  children  were 
Joda,  who  married  Annie  Maxwell,  of  Laurence  County;  Obed,  who 
married  Mary  Lenoir,  a daughter  of  Hope  Lenoir,  of  Marion  County; 
Dr.  William  M.  May,  whose  first  wife  was  Mary  Wilson,  of  New  Orleans, 
La.,  and  second  wife  Margaret  Badon;  Jared  B.  May,  bachelor,  Co.  E., 
16th  Miss.  Regt.,  A.  N.  V.;  Robert,  who  married  Narcissa  Cooper, 
daughter  of  Fleet  Cooper,  of  Laurence  County;  Satina,  who  married 
Robert  Bacot;  Madaline,  who  first  married  Wm.  G.  Ellzey  (Dutch 
Bill),  and  being  left  a widow,  married  Henry  Badon  after  the  Civil 
War;  E.  D.  May  married  Rachel  Ginn. 

James  Andrews,  who  came  from  Georgia,  married  Miss  McGraw 
in  Pike  County.  Their  children  were  Thompson,  William,  Burrell 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


93 


and  Felix  and  Minerva,  who  married  Gamer  Gates  and  lived  in  Holmes 
County. 

James  Andrews’  second  wife  was  Rachel  Gullage,  and  they  were 
the  parents  of  Jack  Andrews. 

Thompson  Andrews  married  Lizzie  Pearson ; Burrell  married  Mary 
Walker,  daughter  of  John  Walker.  They  were  the  parents  of  Elisha  C., 
Thomas  J.,  Wm.  Pinkney,  John  Warren,  Zebulon  P.,  James  Berkley, 
Sarah  Jane,  Rhoda  Elizabeth  and  Charlie  Lee. 

James  Andrews  settled  on  Bogue  Chitto  in  early  1800. 

Thompson  Andrews  and  Lizzie  Pearson  were  the  parents  of  Mar- 
tha, who  married  Thomas  Brent;  James,  Mac  and  Felix. 

Felix  Andrews,  Sr.,  married  Widow  Thigpen,  of  Holmes  County, 
and  were  the  parents  of  Warren  and  Wilkes  Andrews. 

GREAT  LAND  EXCITEMENT. 

In  the  early  fifties  a great  excitement  Was  started  in  Pike  County 
by  John  King.  An  order  had  been  issued  by  the  Interior  Department 
under  statutory  provisions  authorizing  the  entry  of  lands  at  twelve 
and  one-half  cents  an  acre,  giving  to  all  free  persons  of  lawful  age  the 
right  to  purchase  160  acres  and  as  many  more  acres  as  he  might  wish 
at  $1.25  an  acre. 

A large  number  of  people  had  squatted  on  lands  under  the  territor- 
ial government  and  under  the  early  State  government,  and  had  failed 
to  secure  patents.  John  King  suddenly  pounced  on  a few  farms  and 
began  the  work  of  ousting  or  trying  co  remove  the  original  settlers. 
This  procedure  not  only  obtained  in  Pike,  but  throughout  the  State, 
and  the  people  became  aroused.  The  example  of  John  King  Was  fol- 
lowed by  others,  and  no  man  who  had  failed  to  apply  for  a patent  on 
the  lands  he  had  settled  was  safe,  or  did  not  feel  so,  even  from  his 
near  neighbors.  The  very  fact  that  anyone  of  lawful  age  should  secure 
160  acres  under  the  “bit  law”  and  thousands  of  acres  more  at  $1.25, 
brought  about  the  condition  of  peril  for  the  homes  they  had  spent  so 
many  years  in  building  and  placed  them  at  the  mercy  of  land  grabbers, 
who  were  rushing  to  the  State  land  office  for  speculative  purposes. 
The  land  office  Was  located  at  Washington,  near  Natchez,  in  Adams 


94 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


County,  to  which  the  people  flocked  from  all  parts  of  the  State  to 
enter  land  and  to  try  to  save  their  homes  from  the  clutches  of  the 
speculators  and  grabbers,  who  had  no  regard  for  squatter  sovereignty 
or  rights  of  first  settlement.  There  never  was  such  an  excitement 
known  in  the  history  of  the  land  office.  Accommodations  could  not 
be  had  for  the  large  numbers  in  Natchez  and  Washington  and  the 
vicinities,  and  the  people  camped  out  until  they  could  get  a turn  at 
the  register.  It  was  a long,  slow,  tedious  siege.  Mr.  Wm.  White- 
hurst, the  receiver,  was  severely  taxed  in  labor  as  well  as  patience. 
An  incident  occurred  at  the  land  office  during  this  eventful  period 
which  has  been  transmitted  as  relating  to  Pike  County.  Rev.  J.  H. 
Harris,  a Methodist  minister,  who  was  well  known  in  Pike  County, 
was  one  of  the  seekers  for  real  estate  from  some  other  portion  of  the 
State,  and  so  was  Michael  Jones,  from  the  head  of  Vamal  Creek  in 
Pike  County.  Jones  got  in  the  line  of  "take  your  turn”  ahead  of 
Harris,  and  when  his  turn  came  he  occupied  the  attention  of  the 
receiver  in  trying  to  properly  locate  his  claims  to  such  a length  as  to 
wear  the  patience  of  those  behind,  and  particularly  Harris,  who  was 
extermely  anxious  to  get  in.  Harris  composed  the  following  lines  and 
pinned  them  over  the  door  for  the  amusement  of  all  the  others  in 
line: 

Accursed  the  owl  that  ate  the  fowl, 

And  left  the  bones  for  Michael  Jones; 

No  mortal  man  hath  seen  the  like 

Of  such  a monster,  here  from  Pike. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

John  Hart  came  from  England  and  settled  at  Newborn  in  North 
Carolina.  His  wife  was  a Miss  Bryant.  They  raised  a son  named 
John  Bryant  Hart  and  a daughter  named  Sally.  From  Newborn 
John  Bryant  Hart  went  to  South  Carolina,  joined  the  Colonial  Army 
and  engaged  in  the  Revolutionary  War  against  Great  Britain  with 
South  Carolina  troops.  He  married  a Miss  Gill  and  came  to  Missis- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


95 


sippi  Territory  in  1800  and  settled  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  River  about 
a mile  from  Bogue  Chitto  station.  He  and  his  wife  raised  four  sons, 
James,  John,  Joseph  and  Isaiah,  who  preceded  him  and  settled  in  the 
same  locality  on  the  Bogue  Chitto.  Joseph  Hart  belonged  to  Andrew 
Jackson’s  command  in  the  Florida  War  against  che  Seminole  Indians. 
In  May,  1861,  at  the  age  of  seventy  years,  he  joined  the  Bogue  Chitto 
Guards  under  command  of  Capt.  R.  S.  Carter,  and  was  elected  second 
lieutenant  and  served  with  distinction  through  the  war. 

John  Hart  married  Martha  Meredith  from  Fairfield  District,  South 
Carolina.  Her  father  was  killed  while  moving  to  Mississippi  by  an 
Indian  at  the  Chattahoochie  River,  who  threw  a chunk  at  another 
man,  striking  him  and  killing  him,  which  resulted  in  an  Indian  killing. 
The  Harts  were  descendants  of  Pocahontas  stock.  John  Hart  and 
Martha  Meredith  were  the  parents  of  Dr.  R.  T.  Hart,  who  married 
Selena,  daughter  of  Peter  A.  Quin  and  Tamentha  Gray. 

Sherod  Gray  came  from  Richmond,  Va.,  about  1820  and  married 
Mary  Hamilton,  sister  of  Dr.  Hans  Hamilton,  who  was  bom  and  raised 
near  Holmesville,  where  he  taught  school.  He  procured  land  near 
where  Walkers  Bridge  now  stands  across  Bogue  Chitto  and  built  a 
mill  over  Loves  Creek.  He  employed  a man  named  Beasley  to  build 
his  residence,  a fine  two-story  building,  on  a plan  almost  identical  to 
those  of  N.  B.  Raiford,  Owen  and  Luke  Conerly,  Christian  Hoover, 
Richard  Quin,  Gilbert  Gibson,  Wright  B.  Leggett,  James  B.  Quin, 
Henry  Quin  and  others  along  the  Bogue  Chitto.  They  were  large 
two-story  buildings  with  shed  roofs  on  either  side  dropping  below  the 
upper  story,  sash  and  blind  windows,  with  rooms  on  front  and  back, 
giving  half-front  and  half-back  gallery,  usually  brick  chimney  at 
each  end  and  fireplaces  down  and  upstairs.  The  upstairs  were  some- 
times divided  into  one  large  and  two  small  rooms  and  sometimes  a 
wing  was  extended  from  one  end  of  the  residence  for  a dining-room, 
the  kitchen  being  set  back  away  from  it.  Some  of  these  old  residences 
are  standing  yet,  notably  those  of  N.  B.  Raiford,  on  Magees  Creek, 
and  Christian  Hoover,  east  of  Bogue  Chitto;  a number  of  them  were 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  old  home  of  Christian  Hoover  has  one  of  the 
finest  front-yard  gates  perhaps  ever  constructed  in  Pike  County. 


96 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Such  houses  as  these  were  not  constructed  by  the  first  settlers.  The 
first  were  usually  made  of  peeled  pine  poles,  notched  in  at  the  comers, 
for  immediate  use,  then  added  to.  The  next  grade  being  double 
penned,  hewed  log  houses,  open  entry,  front  gallery  and  back  and  shed 
rooms.  The  floors  were  first  made  of  split  punchings  or  boards,  and 
the  roofs  were  covered  with  boards  weighted  down  with  poles  cleated 
to  make  them  secure. 

The  children  of  Sherod  Gray  and  Mary  Hamilton  were  as  follows: 
Margiman,  who  married  Rachel  Andrews;  Thaddeus,  who  married 
Selena  Burris;  Cicero,  who  married  Isopline  Butler;  Lemuel,  who 
married  Ellen  Guinn;  Sherod,  who  married  Margaret  Bracey;  Isaiah, 
who  married  Sally  Gardner;  Cathorine,  who  married  John  H.  Magee; 
Eviline,  who  married  Ray  Harvey  and  Ben  Crawford,  second  hus- 
band; Sophia,  who  married  Reel  Thompson  and  John  Hucabee; 
Selena,  who  married  Hatton  Weathersby;  Margaret,  who  married 
William  Jones;  Tamentha,  who  married  Peter  A.  Quin. 

Near  Sherod  Gray’s  plantation,  or  on  a part  of  it,  Was  a muck 
swamp  which  was  a noted  resort  for  dangerous  wild  animals,  such  as 
wild  cats,  panthers  and  bear.  In  the  fifties  the  Gray  boys  killed  a 
large  Bengal  tiger  in  this  swamp.  While  a boy  visiting  there  at  this 
time  the  writer  saw  the  hide  of  this  animal  stretched  and  tacked  on 
the  wall  of  a building,  and  it  was  here  that  he  was  afflicted  with  one 
of  the  most  violent  attacks  of  the  “buck-ague”  a mortal  ever  had, 
while  on  a deer  drive  with  Cicero  and  Sherod  Gray  and  John  Colqu- 
houn.  They  had  fixed  it  so  as  to  drive  the  deer  to  his  stand.  After 
awhile  the  dogs  started  yelping  faintly,  but  louder  grew. 

“And  faintly  farther  distant  borne, 

Was  heard  the  clanging  hoof  and  horn.” 

The  cold  chills  flashed  through  the  youngster’s  physical  organism. 
He  shuddered.  There  was  a sense  of  congestion  approaching,  a 
smothering  and  gasping  for  breath.  Presently  the  deer  was  seen 
standing  in  the  open  road,  within  thirty  feet  of  him,  mildly  looking 
at  him.  He  became  struck  with  a semi-blindness.  He  reeled,  stag- 
gered, threw  his  gun  down  and  it  fired  somewhere  in  the  direction  of 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


97 


where  this  innocent  little  animal  stood  looking  at  him.  It  Was  the 
trying  ordeal  of  his  life.  He  must  have  drawn  blood,  but  there  was 
no  actual  proof  of  it.  It  is  true  the  dogs  set  up  a more  animated 
yelp,  but  that  was  all.  The  horn  sounded  a recall,  and — 

“Back  limped,  with  slow  and  crippled  pace, 

The  sturdy  leaders  of  the  chase.” 

The  boys  came  in  to  find  the  would-be  hero  of  the  occasion  crest- 
fallen and  sick. 

Silver  Creek  Church  (Baptist)  was  constituted  on  Silver  Creek, 
near  Louisiana  line,  in  1814,  by  Thomas  Batson,  William  lies,  William 
Busby,  Silas  Bullock,  Joshua  Stockstill,  Loflin  Fairchild,  William 
Bond,  Henry  Bond,  John  Thompson,  Frederick  Craft,  David  Hines, 
Walter  Jacobs  and  Willis  Simmons.  Rev.  Nathan  Morris  was  called 
to  supply  this  church  as  minister  July  15,  1816,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Jesse  Crawford  in  1835. 

Still  Creek,  a small  stream  forming  one  of  the  head  tributaries  of 
Tangipahoa,  was  first  settled  by  William  Bagley  Like  many  other 
sections  in  Pike  at  that  time  it  was  a wild,  outlandish  country,  a 
wilderness  of  wild  cane,  full  of  bear,  wolves  and  other  dangerous  ani- 
mals. The  bear  were  so  bad  at  times  that  they  would  come  into  the 
yards  at  night  and  attack  the  hogs  in  the  lots  and  pens,  where  they 
could  get  at  them  easier  than  chasing  them  through  the  cane.  The 
men  never  went  out  day  or  night  without  their  guns  and  knives  and 
dogs.  Bagley  owned  a whisky  still  and  learned  the  bear’s  fondness 
for  sweetened  whisky,  which  enabled  him  to  trap  many  of  them.  He 
made  peach  brandy  and  com  juice,  as  the  settlers  called  it.  It  is 
related  that  there  was  an  old  lady  in  the  neighborhood  whose  people 
had  emigrated  and  brought  her  from  a wheat-growing  country  and 
she  had  a dislike  to  combread.  She  used  to  say  that  she  never  did 
like  com  in  any  shape  or  fashion  until  Bill  Bagley  got  to  making  that 
com  juice;  she  could  manage  to  worry  down  a little  of  it  then.  Still 
Creek  thus  got  its  name. 

William  Bagley  settled  the  Powell  place,  between  Still  Creek  and 

the  Tangipahoa.  Bagley  acquired  considerable  wealth  here  raising 
7 


98 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


hogs,  cattle  and  horses,  and  making  com  juice.  He  sold  out  his 
interests  in  Pike  years  after  his  coming  and  went  to  Covington,  La., 
to  engage  in  other  business,  and  there  died  of  yellow  fever. 

John  Kaigler  came  from  South  Carolina  prior  to  1810  and  settled 
on  that  tract  of  land  east  of  Holmesville,  lying  between  Bogue  Chitto 
and  Otopasas,  erecting  his  residence  on  the  latter  stream  above  its 
junction  with  Bogue  Chitto  near  to  where  the  bridge  now  stands. 
His  wife  was  Rebecca  Wells.  She  rode  horseback  part  of  the  time, 
and  he  walked,  carrying  his  noted  double-barreled  shotgun -rifle. 
They  brought  all  their  belongings  with  them,  and  had  a rough,  adven- 
turous trip.  At  this  place  is  where  Andrew  Kaigler  Was  bom  in  181 1, 
according  to  the  best  obtainable  evidence  which  was  transmitted 
from  father  to  son  and  other  members  of  the  family.  If  this  be  true 
it  “knocks  the  honors”  off  of  Joe  Tuff  Martin’s  and  Wild  Bill  Smith’s 
claims  that  they  were  the  first  boy  children  bom  in  Pike  County. 
There  were  many  disputes  between  them  as  to  which  was  entitled  to 
the  honor  on  occasions  in  Holmesville  when  they  would  meet  around 
the  festive  board. 

John  Kaigler  was  a hard-working  man  and  careful  manager,  and 
the  beautiful  South  Carolina  girl  who  elected  to  share  his  perils  in 
the  long  wilderness  tramp  from  South  Carolina  to  Mississippi  was  a 
strong  support  in  laying  the  foundation  and  building  up  their  home 
and  fortune. 

John  Brent,  Sr.,  and  William  Cothem,  Sr.,  were  contemporaneous 
with  John  Kaigler  and  his  wife. 

Andrew  Kaigler  married  Mary  Levisa  Noland,  bom  and  raised 
near  Woodville  in  Wilkinson  County,  where  his  father  had  moved, 
leaving  Adam,  a trusty  negro  slave,  in  charge  of  his  Topisaw  planta- 
tion. Andrew  subsequently  returned  to  the  original  home,  where  he 
remained  in  after  life.  Their  sons  were  George,  Frank,  Phillip  and 
Willie,  and  their  daughters  Jane  and  Julia. 

A sister  of  Andrew  Kaigler,  Rebecca,  married  John  A.  Brent,  son 
of  John  Brent,  with  whom  she  had  two  children,  William  E.  and  Fanny 
Brent,  wife  of  Col.  Preston  Brent. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


99 


William  Cothem  settled  the  Tumipseed  place  on  Topisaw  prior  to 
1815.  His  wife  was  Nancy  Gates,  and  they  were  the  parents  of 
Elijah  Cothem,  whose  wife  was  Cathorine  Dunaway,  daughter  of 
Jonathan  Dunaway,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  John,  Joseph  and 
William  Cothem. 

Carters  Creek  derived  its  name  from  John  Carter,  who  settled 
John  Cothem’s  place  and  built  a mill  over  that  stream  above  its 
junction  with  the  Topisaw. 

John  Brent,  Sr.,  Hezekiah  Williams,  Thomas  Guinea  and  one  of 
the  Newman  family  were  early  settlers  along  on  the  Topisaw. 

Isaac  Saddler  came  to  the  Mississippi  Territory  with  the  Walker 
family  in  1814  and  settled  on  a tract  of  land  which  afterward  became 
a part  of  the  Hoover  plantation. 

Judge  Christian  Hoover  settled  his  place  in  1823.  His  wife  was 
Mary  Newland  Nails,  and  he  lived  on  this  place  until  his  death.  He 
served  as  probate  judge  of  Pike  County  for  several  years,  and  was  a 
Representative  and  Senator  in  the  General  Assembly.  He  acquired 
considerable  wealth  as  a cotton  planter  and  owned  over  a hundred 
negroes.  His  sons  were  William,  Thomas  and  Christian.  WTilliam 
was  a minister  and  Chaplain  of  the  33d  Mississippi  Regiment,  C.  S.  A. 
He  married  Martha  S.  J.  Thompson,  near  Greensburg,  La.  Thomas 
was  a lawyer  and  died  young.  Christian  became  a doctor  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Barnes,  of  Marion  County. 

One  of  Judge  Hoover’s  daughters,  Mary,  married  Benjamin  C. 
Hartwell,  from  the  State  of  Maine,  who  came  to  Jackson  in  1836  and 
settled  in  Pike  County  in  1850. 

Julia  Hoover  married  Dudley  May,  from  Kentucky,  disabled  at 
the  battle  of  Shiloh.  Eliza  (Dump)  Hoover  married  George  K. 
Spencer,  of  Columbus,  Ga.  Nancy  Hoover  married  George  Wells,  of 
Amite  County.  They  were  the  parents  of  Nannie  Wells,  left  an 
orphan.  Sarah  Hoover  married  Thaddeus  C.  S.  Barr. 

Henry  Bond  and  his  wife,  Miss  Muse,  came  from  Georgia  and  settled 
on  the  Balachitto,  on  what  is  known  as  the  William  Allen  place.  Their 
children,  Preston,  married  Annie  Muse;  Thomas,  a Baptist  preacher, 
Rebecca  Felder;  Henry,  Samentha  Dickerson;  Rebecca,  Louis  Bal- 


100 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


lard;  Liddie,  Willis  Mullins;  Betsy,  Jesse  Barron;  Milton  Napoleon 
married  Mary  C.  Wilson  and  settled  in  Amite  County. 

Gabriel  Allen  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  near  Holmesville.  He 
was  the  father  of  Felix  Allen  and  was  from  Tennessee. 

Felix  Allen  was  the  father  of  Chestine  Allen,  who  married  Jane 
Lewis,  daughter  of  Quinnie  Lewis,  and  Cathorine,  the  wife  of  Westley 
Kline,  the  grocery  keeper  of  Holmesville,  with  his  first  wife,  Cath- 
orine Williams,  who  died  in  Tennessee,  he  came  to  Mississippi  in 
1814  and  settled  on  Bogue  Chitto  below  Silver  Creek  Church.  He 
had  twin  daughters,  Cathorine  and  Olivia,  bom  in  Tennessee  with  his 
first  wife.  In  1828  he  married  Olivia  M.  McGehee,  of  Amite  County. 

Wm.  M.  Allen  married  Julia  McGehee.  His  second  wife  was 
Louisa  J.  Bickham,  daughter  of  Thomas  Carroll  Bickham,  of  Wash- 
ington Parish. 

Mrs.  Nancy  Bridges,  who  was  the  mother  of  Frank  and  Linus 
Bridges,  and  lived  on  Leatherwood,  was  a daughter  of  Peter  Quin,  Sr., 
who  came  to  Pike  (then  Marion)  in  1812,  and  settled  on  Topisaw, 
and  sister  to  Daniel,  Peter,  Jr.,  Henry,  Richard  and  Rev.  and  Dr. 
Hugh  Quin. 

Col.  Peter  Quin,  Jr.,  came  to  Pike  in  1815  and  settled  at  Holmes- 
ville. He  married  Martha  Cathorine  Moore  in  North  Carolina.  Her 
mother  was  a Miss  Murray,  sister  of  the  author  of  Murray’s  Grammar. 
Their  children  were  Hugh  Murray,  Peter  C.,  Irvin  Moore,  Josephus  R., 
Lemuel  J.,  Selena,  wife  of  Dr.  George  Nicholson;  Cynthia,  wife  of 
Dr.  Leland;  Courtney,  wife  of  Dr.  Jesse  Wallace,  and  Dewitt  Clinton. 

Daniel  Quin,  son  of  Peter,  Sr.,  married  Kitty  Deer,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  Rodney,  William,  Frank  and  Emily,  wife  of  Jere- 
miah Coney. 

Henry  Quin  married  Elizabeth  Graham,  and  their  children  were 
Peter  G.  Quin,  Arthur  and  Henry  G.  and  Minerva,  wife  of  General 
Cain;  Amanda,  wife  of  James  Gamer,  Amite  County;  Mary,  wife  of 
Thomas  Gamer,  Amite  County;  Elizabeth  Hugh,  wife  of  Dr.  Vincent 
Jones  Wroten. 

The  following  are  the  children  of  Dr.  Wroten  and  Elizabeth  Hugh 
Quin:  Margaret  Elizabeth;  William  Monroe,  who  married  Eleanor 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


101 


Lombard,  adopted  daughter  of  Robert  Lea,  of  St.  Helena  Parish, 
Louisiana;  Dewitt  Henry,  who  married  Eliza  Sprich;  Kate  Minerva, 
wife  of  Charles  E.  Davis,  of  St.  Helena  Parish,  Louisiana;  Mary 
Eloise. 

Dr.  Vincent  J.  Wroten  was  a son  of  Wiley  H.  Wroten  and  Margaret 
Jones,  early  pioneers  from  South  Carolina,  who  settled  on  Topisaw, 
where  he  was  bom  the  2d  of  May,  1818.  He  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  country,  and  in  his  early  manhood  read  medi- 
cine. He  was  graduated  from  the  Kentucky  Medical  College  and  held 
a high  rank  among  the  members  of  his  profession.  He  was  married 
to  Elizabeth  Hugh  Quin  in  1844,  after  which  he  settled  on  a farm 
on  the  Big  Tangipahoa  River,  in  the  western  portion  of  Pike  County, 
and  pursued  the  practice  of  medicine  in  connection  with  his  agri- 
cultural interests.  He  was  a member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South.  He  was  an  ardent  temperance  leader  in  the  latter 
forties  and  early  fifties,  when  the  Sons  of  Temperance  sprung  into 
existence  and  the  Social  Circle  temperance  organization  was  estab- 
lished. He  settled  in  Magnolia  in  1872  and  represented  Pike  County 
in  the  Legislature  that  year  and  in  1873,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of 
its  ablest  members.  Dr.  Wroten  was  a natural-bom  gentleman  in 
the  true  acceptation  of  the  term;  polished  by  education  and  Christi- 
anity. He  was  a peacemaker  among  men  and  was  sought  in  counsel 
by  those  in  trouble.  He  loved  the  Church  and  its  fellowship.  He 
sprung  from  the  throng  of  true  nobility  that  swelled  the  ever-filling 
ranks  of  the  new  Territory  and  State  of  Mississippi  in  its  pioneer  days. 
He  left  the  imprint  of  his  sublime  nature  behind  him  and  transmitted 
it  to  his  descendants.  He  knew  no  word  that  would  crush  another’s 
heart.  He  was  so  refined  and  gentle,  so  sympathetic,  that  his  great 
heart  melted  in  the  presence  of  distress  or  suffering,  and  the  angel  of 
mercy  gave  to  him  the  sublime  attribute  of  peaceful  pleasure  in  giving 
relief  and  comfort  to  the  helpless  and  distressed.  And  he  has  left 
to  his  family  and  friends  a name  and  reputation  without  blemish. 

His  son,  Dr.  William  Monroe  Wroten,  was  a member  of  Stockdale’s 
cavalry,  under  General  Bedford  Forest  of  the  Confederate  Army,  and 
his  name  appears  on  the  roll  of  that  company.  He  succeeded  his 


102 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


distinguished  father  in  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Magnolia,  where 
he  still  resides,  and  acknowledged  to  be  one  of  the  leading  physicians 
of  the  county. 

Richard  Quin,  also  son  of  Peter,  Sr.,  married  Mary  Graham,  sister 
to  Henry  Quin’s  wife,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  James  B.  Quin, 
Peter  A.,  William  Monroe,  Hillary  and  Richie. 

Col.  Peter  Quin  was  a man  of  broad  views,  strong  character  and 
moral  influence.  In  1819  he  presided  as  superior  justice  of  the 
Orphans  (probate)  Court.  He  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  town  of 
Holmesville,  under  an  incorporating  act  of  1820,  and  when  the  Orphans 
Court  system  was  abolished  in  1822  Peter  Quin  was  elected  probate 
judge,  being  succeeded  by  Robert  Love  in  1824.  During  his  incum- 
bency as  superior  justice  a circumstance  known  as  the  Sibley  Incident 
occurred,  which  has  been  handed  down  as  part  of  the  judicial  pro- 
ceedings had  in  the  pioneer  establishment  of  law  and  justice  in  the 
new  county. 

Westley  Kline,  a son-in-law  of  Felix  Allen,  kept  a small  whisky 
shop  in  Holmesville,  the  first  we  have  any  record  of  in  the  county. 
The  building  was  constructed  of  pine  poles,  peeled  and  notched  up  at 
the  comers.  The  floor  was  made  of  split  punching.  The  roof  was 
also  made  of  poles  notched  together  so  as  to  give  it  the  proper  incline. 
This  was  covered  by  long  clapboards  and  weighted  down  with  poles 
cleated  so  as  to  hold  them  fast.  This  was  the  customary  way  of  build- 
ing houses  in  the  absence  of  saw  mills  and  nails.  The  door  and  window 
hinges  were  made  of  seasoned  oak  or  hickory,  and  the  locks  were 
wooden  slide  bolts  that  worked  in  sockets  fastened. to  the  inside  of 
the  door  and  a wire  key  shaped  to  suit.  Jesse  King  was  a justice  of 
the  peace.  On  one  occasion  there  was  a large  gathering  in  Holmes- 
ville, and  Kline’s  establishment  was  a popular  resort.  When  night 
came  on  Kline  was  compelled  to  close,  as  the  law  required  him  to  keep 
an  orderly  house,  and  a row  had  taken  place  in  which  Wm.  Sibley 
was  concerned.  He  had  left  his  coat  and  hat  in  the  grocery,  but  he 
succumbed  to  force  of  circumstances  and  took  a long  snooze  under 
the  shadows  of  the  “Widow  Phillips,”  the  noted  whipping-post  (oak 
tree),  that  stood  on  the  public  square.  When  he  woke  up  he  thought 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


103 


of  his  hat  and  coat  being  locked  up  in  Kline’s  grocery.  He  climbed 
to  the  roof,  removed  the  boards  and  brought  them  out,  placing  the 
boards  in  position  as  he  found  them.  Kline  knew  he  had  left  them 
there  and  wondered  how  he  got  them  out.  Sibley  acknowledged  how 
he  had  taken  them  out  and  he  was  reported  on  his  own  confession  to 
Justice  King  and  tried  for  burglary  under  the  statute  already  given, 
convicted  and  sentenced  by  King  to  be  hung  on  a certain  day.  Sibley 
complained  at  the  severity  of  the  sentence,  as  he  had  taken  nothing 
but  his  own  hat  and  coat.  The  justice  of  the  peace  was  inflexible. 
He  had  sworn  to  support  the  constitution  and  enforce  the  laws  of  the 
land.  Sibley  had  violated  a law  which  provided  against  the  breaking 
and  entering  in  the  night  time  the  house  of  another,  which  also  for- 
bid the  taking  and  carrying  away  anything  whatever.  Sibley  had 
taken  and  carried  away  his  own  hat  and  coat.  He  had  violated  the 
law  and  must  hang  on  the  day  ordered  by  the  court.  He  begged  to 
be  allowed  an  opportunity  to  fix  up  his  business  affairs  in  order  to 
be  ready  to  meet  his  doom.  He  was  paroled  on  his  own  recogni- 
zance with  the  distinct  promise  that  he  would  return  for  the  execu- 
tion of  the  sentence.  He  was  pursuaded  and  went  to  work  and  got 
up  a petition  signed  by  nearly  all  the  men  in  the  county  and  by 
the  justice  himself  to  the  Governor  for  pardon.  This  was  a great 
task,  as  the  people  were  scattered  over  a large  territory  and  took  up 
so  much  of  the  valuable  time  of  the  petitioner  that  it  would  be  a close 
run  for  him  to  reach  the  Governor  at  Washington  in  Adams  County 
and  return,  in  case  his  pardon  was  refused,  in  time  to  comply  with 
his  word  of  honor  with  the  honorable  court  that  had  passed  the  sen- 
tence of  death  upon  him. 

One  cold,  drizzling  morning  Sibley  rode  into  Holmesville  and 
hailed  at  the  gate  of  Judge  Peter  Quin. 

“Hello,  Billy,  come  in,”  said  Quin,  “come  into  the  fire;  what  are 
you  doing  scouting  around  such  a morning  as  this?” 

“Going  to  Washington  to  see  the  Governor  to  try  to  get  my  pardon, 
and  come  in  to  get  you  to  sign  my  petition.” 

“Petition  for  what?”  asked  Quin. 

“Well,  you  know  King  had  me  tried  for  burglary  for  going  into 


104 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Kline’s  grocery  through  the  roof  that  night,  and  taking  out  my  hat 
and  coat  which  I had  left  in  there  when  he  shut  up  and  Went  away ; 
and  he  sentenced  me  to  be  hung  according  to  law  on  a certain  day, 
and  I haven’t  got  much  time  to  lose  now  and  get  back  on  time,  and  I 
want  you  to  sign  it.” 

"Let  me  see  it,”  said  Quin. 

Peter  Quin  took  good  time  and  read  all  the  names,  and  then  called 
Patsey,  his  wife,  and  told  her  to  have  some  breakfast  fixed  for  him 
and  Billy.  "You  mustn’t  go  without  your  breakfast,  Billy.” 

After  examining  the  petition  thoroughly  he  looked  at  Billy  and 
crumpled  the  document  up  in  his  hands  and  threw  it  in  the  fire,  to 
the  bewonderment  of  the  man  whose  life  was  in  the  scales  suspended 
by  the  thread  of  Justice  King’s  decree  and  who  had  ridden  hundreds 
of  miles  to  procure  the  signatures  to  this  petition.  It  was  a cold, 
heartless  act.  A personal  friend,  and  yet  he  would  thus  doom  him 
by  the  wanton  destruction  of  his  only  hope  for  life. 

With  all  his  sense  of  honor,  Billy  was  a fighter;  Peter  Quin  was 
too,  but  he  was  a bom  commander — could  control  himself  and  others 
also.  Billy  Sibley  got  furious;  he  rose  from  his  chair  with  tiger  eyes 
gleaming  at  Peter  Quin,  and  invited  him  out  of  his  yard  for  settlement. 
Quin  called  Patsey  and  told  her  to  hurry  up  breakfast,  that  Billy 
was  in  a hurry.  “Don’t  go  till  you  get  your  breakfast;  come,  be 
seated  and  get  quiet,  and  wait  till  after  breakfast.”  Billy  yielded 
finally,  but  with  a sad  and  desolate  heart.  It  was  a crucial  moment. 
The  gallows  was  being  constructed  already ; men  were  practicing  the 
formation  of  the  hangman’s  knot  with  the  rope  that  was  to  break 
his  neck.  The  yellow  clay  that  lay  in  piles  on  either  side  of  the  chasm 
that  was  to  be  the  receptacle  of  his  last  remains  floated  before  his 
vision.  His  appetite  waned  and  breakfast  was  a “forceful  conclusion.” 
When  breakfast  was  over  Peter  Quin  sat  himself  in  front  of  Billy 
Sibley,  and  said: 

"Billy,  King  may  know  something  about  the  Bible,  as  I believe 
he  is  a member  of  your  church  and  one  of  its  deacons,  but  he  don’t 
know  much  about  law.  I have  a right  to  set  aside  his  decree,  which 
he  had  no  legal  right  to  enter  in  his  court.  Go  home  and  attend  to 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


105 


your  business  and  to  your  family  affairs,  and  if  King  attempts  to  inter- 
fere with  you,  send  him  to  me.”  And  this  was  Sibley’s  pardon  and  a 
circumstance  he  delighted  to  relate  in  after  years.  He  was  a man  of 
the  highest  integrity  and  honor.  His  word  was  his  bond,  and  he 
would  hare  returned  to  King’s  court  and  suffered  himself  to  be  swung 
from  the  gallows  rather  than  violate  his  promise,  but  for  the  circum- 
stance above  related. 

John  Brumfield  and  his  wife,  Margaret  Kelly,  came  from  York 
District,  South  Carolina,  and  settled  in  Washington  Parish,  Louisiana, 
in  1813.  Their  children  were  Jesse,  Willis,  David,  James,  Charles, 
Isaac,  Nathaniel,  Alexander  and  Lucy. 

Jesse  Brumfield  married  Hannah  Youngblood,  of  Washington 
Parish,  and  first  settled  on  Union  Creek  in  Pike  County,  which  place 
was  subsequently  owned  by  Harris  Harvey.  The  names  of  their 
children  are  Benjamin,  Henry  S.,  Mary  L.,  Jesse  A.,  Joseph  W., 
James  Monroe,  Susan  Lucinda  (Lucy),  John  R.  and  Leah  E. 

Jesse  Brumfield  afterwards  settled  a plantation  on  or  near  Bogue 
Chitto,  south  of  Holmesville,  formerly  settled  by  William  Love  in 
1809.  He  was  elected  sheriff  in  1843  and  served  four  years.  In  1848 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  and  served  one  term.  He  was  for 
many  years  a member  of  the  board  of  supervisors. 

David  Brumfield  married  Cynthia  Holmes,  daughter  of  Elisha 
Holmes,  Sr.,  from  Georgia ; Isaac  Brumfield  married  Elizabeth  Holmes, 
her  sister,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  Nathaniel,  Jr.,  Jesse  K.,  Har- 
rison and  Lucy  Jane,  who  married  Green  B.  May;  Sarah  Margaret 
was  the  wife  of  Wesley  J.  Ellzey;  Mary  married  Edwin  May;  Ange- 
line,  Jabe  Conerly. 

William  Leggett  and  his  wife,  Jemima  Goff,  came  from  Georgia 
and  settled  on  Bogue  Chitto  near  the  Louisiana-Mississippi  line,  about 
1807.  Their  children  were  Benjamin  Wright  and  William  Pinkney. 

Benjamin  Wright  Leggett  married  Elizabeth  Kennedy  McGehee, 
daughter  of  William  McGehee,  of  Amite  County.  Their  children  were 
John  G.,  Jane  Olivia  and  Virginia  Ann. 

B.  W.  Leggett  settled  on  a place  formerly  settled  by  a man  named 
White,  on  Loves  Creek.  His  son,  John  G.  Leggett,  married  Mary 


106 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Simmons;  Jane  Olivia,  Daniel  M.  Pound;  Virginia  Ann,  David  C. 
Walker. 

Daniel  Walker  Pound  and  his  wife,  Julia  Ann  Clayton,  emigrated 
from  Tennessee  about  1830  and  stopped  on  the  Homochitto  and  sub- 
sequently came  into  Pike  and  settled  on  Hominy  Creek  in  the  north- 
western portion  of  the  county,  and  afterward  moved  near  Magnolia. 
Besides  their  son,  D.  M.  Pound,  they  had  two  daughters,  Virginia  Ann, 
who  married  a German  named  J.  F.  Shoup,  and  Rachael  F.,  who  mar- 
ried Joseph  M.  Lewis. 

Thomas  W.  Pound,  son  of  Daniel  W.,  with  his  first  wife  in  Tennes- 
see, married  Lucinda  Hall,  of  Amite  County ; Eliza  Jane  was  a daugh 
ter  by  his  second  wife. 

Daniel  W.  Pound  was  surveyor  of  Pike  County  for  eighteen  years, 
and  succeeded  George  Cato,  who  succeeded  Sampson  L.  Lamkin.  He 
was  supervisor  for  a number  of  years,  taught  school  in  his  young 
manhood,  and  was  a lifelong  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

John  Black  and  William  Cage  were  among  the  first  lawyers  to 
locate  in  Holmesville.  The  former  was  elected  United  States  Senator. 

Harmon  Runnels  represented  the  two  counties  of  Marion  and 
Hancock  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Territory;  in  1814,  previous 
to  the  erection  of  Pike  County  and  after  the  creation  of  Laurence 
County,  the  three  counties  were  represented  by  John  Bond,  Jr.,  in 
1816,  and  after  the  creation  of  Pike  he  was  succeeded  by  Elbert 
Burton  as  the  Representative  of  the  district. 

In  1810  the  first  Methodist  camp-meeting  was  held  near  Magnolia, 
under  the  supervision  of  the  Felders  and  Sandells,  and  in  their  neigh- 
borhood. 

At  the  October  election  in  1819  Vincent  Gamer,  David  Cleveland 
and  William  Dickson  were  elected  to  represent  Pike  County  in  the 
Legislature. 

Charles  Stovall  represented  the  counties  of  Marion,  Laurence,  Pike 
and  Hancock  in  the  Senate  from  1817  to  1821. 

In  1820  John  P.  Hamilton  was  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Pike. 

Anthony  Perryman  was  the  first  man  to  establish  a mercantile 
business  in  Holmesville  after  it  was  made  the  seat  of  justice. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


107 


In  1822  Pike  County  was  represented  in  the  Legislature  by  Wiley 
P.  Harris,  William  Dickson  and  James  Y.  McNabb,  with  David  Dick- 
son as  Senator  for  Pike  and  Marion.  At  this  time  Walter  Leake,  who 
succeeded  George  Poindexter,  was  Governor  and  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment was  located  at  Columbia,  in  Marion  County,  where  Governor 
Leake  was  inaugurated.  This  same  year  the  capital  of  the  State  was 
fixed  at  Jackson,  located  near  Pearl  River  in  Hinds  County,  being 
nearer  the  center  of  the  State. 

In  1823  Richard  Davis  and  David  Cleveland  were  Representatives, 
and  the  following  December  Davis  Was  dropped  and  William  Dickson 
and  Wiley  P.  Harris  were  elected.  In  1825  Harris  was  Senator  for 
Pike  and  Marion  and  remained  until  1830. 

In  1823  James  Y.  McNabb  was  elected  clerk  in  place  of  J.  C.  Dixon, 
and  remained  until  1833,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  George  McNabb, 
who  served  as  clerk  until  1839. 

In  1826  the  Salem  Baptist  Church  was  constituted,  near  the  spot 
where  the  town  of  Magnolia  is  located.  The  founders  of  this  church 
were  Rev.  Charles  Felder,  Rev.  Asa  Mercer  and  Rev.  Shadrack  Coker. 

The  organization  of  this  church  under  its  original  name  was  kept 
up  until  1873,  when  its  name  was  changed  to  Magnolia  Baptist  Church. 

In  1824  Nathaniel  Wells,  Col.  Peter  Quin  and  David  Cleveland 
were  Representatives,  and  in  1826  Cleveland,  with  William  Dickson 
and  Vincent  Gamer,  were  elected.  This  year  David  Holmes  was 
re-elected  Governor,  but  was  succeeded  by  Gerard  C.  Brandon  in 
1827,  who  served  until  1833. 

In  1827  R.  T.  Sparkman  was  elected  sheriff  and  served  until  1838. 


A complete  list  of  the  men  who  have  represented  Pike  County  in 
the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  State  Legislature 
since  1817: 


pike’s  LEGISLATORS. 


SENATORS. 


1817  David  Dickson 

1818  David  Dickson 

1819  David  Dickson 

1820  David  Dickson 


1821  David  Dickson 


1822  William  Spencer 

1823  William  Spencer 

1824  William  Spencer 


108 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


SENATORS — CONTINUED. 


1825  Wiley  P.  Harris 

1826  Wiley  P.  Harris 

1827  Wiley  P.  Harris 

1828  Wiley  P.  Harris 

1829  Wiley  P.  Harris 

1830  Wiley  P.  Harris 

1831  William  C.  Gage 

1832  William  C.  Gage 

1833  Franklin  Love 

1834  David  Cleveland. 
r83S  Jesse  Harper 

1836  James  Y.  McNabb 

1837  James  Y.  McNabb 

1838  Cornelius  Trawick 

1839  Cornelius  Trawick 

1840  Franklin  Love 

1841  Franklin  Love 

1842  Christian  Hoover 

1843  James  B.  Quin 

1844  James  B.  Quin 

1845  James  B.  Quin 

1846  George  Nicholson 

1847  George  Nicholson 

1848  Davis  E.  McCoy 

1849  Davis  E.  McCoy 

1850  Davis  E.  McCoy 

1851  Davis  E.  McCoy 

1852  J.  M.  Nelson 

1853  J.  M.  Nelson 

1854  J.  M.  Nelson 

1855  J.  M.  Nelson 

1856  Franklin  Love 

1857  Franklin  Love 

1858  Franklin  Love 

1859  J.  B.  Chrisman 

1860  J.  B.  Chrisman 

1861  J.  B.  Chrisman 

1862  J.  B.  Chrisman 

1863  J.  B.  Chrisman 

1864  P.  C.  Quin 

1865  W.  F.  Cain 


1866  W.  F.  Cain 

1867  W.  F.  Cain 

1 868  W.  F.  Cain 

1869  W.  F.  Cain 

1870  John  Gartman 

1871  John  Gartman 

1872  Hiram  Cassedy,  Jr. 

1873  Hiram  Cassedy,  Jr. 

1874  J.  F.  Sessions 

1875  J-  F.  Sessions 

1876  R.  H.  Thompson 

1877  R.  H.  Thompson 

1878  R.  H.  Thompson 

1879  R.  H.  Thompson 

1880  A.  H.  Longino 

1881  A.  H.  Longino 

1882  A.  H.  Longino 

1883  A.  H.  Longino 

1884  S.  E.  Packwood 

1885  S.  E.  Packwood 

1886  S.  E.  Packwood 

1887  S.  E.  Packwood 

1888  Thos.  B.  Ford 

1889  Thos.  B.  Ford 

1890  T.  B.  Ford 

1891  T.  B.  Ford 

1892  J.  H.  McGehee 

1893  J.  H.  McGehee 

1894  J.  H.  McGehee 

1895  J.  H.  McGehee 

1896  W.  B.  Mixon 

1897  W.  B.  Mixon 

1898  W.  B.  Mixon 

1899  W.  B.  Mixon 

1900  J.  H.  McGehee 

1901  J.  H.  McGehee 

1902  J.  H.  McGehee 

1904  Clem  V.  Ratcliff 

1905  Clem  V.  Ratcliff 

1906  Clem  V.  Ratcliff 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


109 


REPRESENTATIVES 


1817  Elbert  Burton . 

1818  Elbert  Burton 

1819  Vincent  Gamer 
David  Cleveland 

1820  Vincent  Gamer 
David  Cleveland 

1821  William  Dickson 
James  Robinson 

1822  Wiley  P.  Harris 

1823  R.  Davidson 

1824  R.  Davidson 

1825  Peter  Quin 
N.  Wells 

1826  Peter  Quin 
N.  Wells 

1827  Peter  Quin 

1828  Peter  Quin 

1829  R.  Davidson 

1830  S.  Sharp 

A.  Cunningham 

1831  Franklin  Love 
John  Given 

1832  Franklin  Love 
John  Given 

1833  Jesse  Harper 
W.  G.  Martin 

1834  Jesse  Harper 
W.  G.  Martin 

1835  Franklin  Love 
W.  G.  Martin 

1836  Franklin  Love 
A.  Cunningham 

1837  Hardy  Carter 
A.  Cunningham 

1838  W.  A.  Stone 
Thomas  Denman 

1839  W.  A.  Stone 
Thomas  Denman 

1840  Jesse  Harper 
James  Cunningham 

1841  B.  W.  Leggett 
J.  A.  Bradford 

1842  Hiram  Terrell 
J.  A.  Bradford 


1843  Hiram  Terrell 
J.  A.  Bradford 

1844  E.  Millsaps 
1843  E.  Millsaps 

1846  B.  W.  Leggett 
E.  Rushing 
William  Simmons 

1847  B.  W.  Leggett 
E.  Rushing 
William  Simmons 

1848  Jesse  Brumfield 

1849  Jesse  Brumfield 

1850  S.  A.  Matthews 

1851  S.  A.  Matthews 

1852  J.  G.  H.  Sasser 

1853  J.  G.  H.  Sasser 

1854  R.  A.  Ellzey 
1835  R.  A.  Ellzey 

1856  Levi  Bacot 

1857  Levi  Bacot 

1858  D.  C.  Quin 

1859  H.  E.  Weathersby 

1860  H.  E.  Weathersby 

1861  H.  E.  Weathersby 
J.  O.  Magee 

1862  J.  O.  Magee 

1863  J.  R.  G.  McGehee 

1864  J.  R.  G.  McGehee 

1865  J.  W.  Huffman 

1866  J.  W.  Huffman 

1867  J.  W.  Huffman 

1868  J.  W.  Huffman 

1869  J.  W.  Huffman 

1870  W.  H.  Roane 

1871  W.  H.  Roane 

1872  V.  J.  Wroten 

1873  V.  J.  Wroten 

1874  S.  E.  Packwood 
1873  S.  E.  Packwood 

1876  James  M.  Causey 

1877  James  M.  Causey 

1878  James  M.  Causey 

1879  James  M.  Causey 

1880  James  C.  Lamkin 


110 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


1881 

1882 

1883 

1884 

1885 

1886 

1887 


1890 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 


REPRESENTATIVES CONTINUED. 


James  C.  Lamkin 
W.  F.  Simmons 
W.  F.  Simmons 
James  C.  Lamkin 
George  M.  Go  van 
James  C.  Lamkin 
George  M.  Go  van 
T.  F.  Causey 
James  A.  Bates 
T.  F.  Causey 
James  A.  Bates 
J.  H.  Crawford 
S.  M.  Simmons 
J.  H.  Crawford 
S.  M.  Simmons 
J.  G.  Leggett 
Theo.'  McKnight 
J.  G.  Leggett 
Theo.  McKnight 
S.  E.  Packwood 
James  M.  Tate 
S.  E.  Packwood 
James  M.  Tate 
S.  E.  Packwood 
James  M.  Tate 


1895  S.  E.  Packwood 
James  M.  Tate 

1896  W.  W.  Pope 
J.  B.  Webb 

1897  W-  W.  Pope 
J.  B.  Webb 

1898  W.  W.  Pope 
J.  B.  Webb 

1899  W.  W.  Pope 
J.  B.  Webb 

1900  P.  E.  Quin 
J.  M.  Tate 

1901  P.  E.  Quin 
J.  M.  Tate 

1902  P.  E.  Quin 
John  A.  Walker 

1903  P.  E.  Quin 
John  A.  Walker 

1904  W.  B.  Mixon 
W.  W.  Pope 

1905  W.  B.  Mixon 
W.  W.  Pope 

1906  W.  B.  Mixon 
W.  W.  Pope 


The  members  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1890  were  S.  E.  Pack- 
wood  and  Frank  A.  McLain. 


E.  McNair  was  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Pike  County  from 
1853  to  1866. 

Charles  Bancroft  held  over  as  probate  clerk  until  1867  and  Was 
succeeded  by  William  M.  Conerly.  Sampson  L.  Lamkin  succeeded 
S.  A.  Matthews  as  circuit  clerk  in  1861,  and  served  until  1870,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Fred  W.  Collins,  appointed  by  Governor  Alcorn. 

Fred  W.  Collins  was  elected  to  the  same  office  in  1871,  re-elected 
in  1873  and  held  until  January,  1876,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Dr.  A.  P.  Sparkman  by  election  in  the  fall  of  1875. 

Robert  H.  Felder  succeeded  Louis  C.  Bickham  as  sheriff,  and  held 
until  after  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


111 


Levi  D.  Felder  was  appointed  in  his  stead  under  the  provisional 
government  of  Governor  Sharkey.  Robert  H.  Felder  filled  the  term 
as  deputy  sheriff,  as  he  could  not  take  the  “iron-clad”  oath  required 
under  the  reconstruction  acts  of  Congress.  Levi  D.  Felder  held  the 
office  until  Charles  B.  Young  was  appointed  by  Governor  Ames. 
Young  disappeared. 

Ansell  H.  Prewitt  was  appointed  by  Governor  Alcorn. 

Prewett  was  assassinated  on  the  cars  while  conveying  the  famous 
prisoner,  Jas.  W.  Head,  to  Jackson.  Head  was  charged  with  the 
killing  of  Abraham  Hiller,  of  Magnolia.  His  confederates,  said  to 
be  a portion  of  the  noted  Quantrell  partisans  of  the  Trans-Mississippi 
Department,  stopped  the  train  near  Bogue  Chitto  station,  killed 
Sheriff  Prewett  and  wounded  his  son  Elisha  and  Deputy  W.  L.  Coney, 
and  all  made  their  escape. 

In  1838  W.  H.  Gibson  succeeded  R.  T.  Sparkman  as  sheriff,  served 
until  1840,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Lemuel  J.  Quin. 

In  1843  Jesse  Brumfield  succeeded  Quin  and  served  until  1846, 
when  Parham  B.  Williams  was  elected,  followed  by  Robert  Bacot 
in  1850,  and  in  1861  Louis  C.  Bickham  was  elected. 

William  A.  Stone,  so  long  a resident  of  Pike,  acting  a conspicuous 
part  in  her  early  history,  was  bom  in  the  District  of  Maine  March  12, 
1804,  in  the  town  of  Livermore,  Oxford  County,  where  his  father, 
Col.  Jesse  Stone,  resided.  He  was  a graduate  of  Bendoin  College  of 
the  class  of  1825.  At  this  time  forty-four  entered  the  Freshman 
Class,  among  them  Longfellow,  Abbott,  Bradbury  and  Sawtelle,  who 
became  distinguished  men.  Wm.  A.  Stone  studied  law  under  Peleg 
Sprague,  for  many  years  District  United  States  Judge.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1828  and  settled  in  the  town  of  Prospect,  but 
shortly  removed  to  Mississippi  and  settled  in  Pike,  and  was  one  of 
the  conferees  of  Buckner  Harris,  Judge  Hagan  and  Dillingham.  He 
served  in  the  Legislature,  and  in  1839  he  sold  his  interests  in  Holmes- 
ville  to  John  T.  Lamkin,  a young  lawyer  who  had  emigrated  from 
Georgia . 

While  in  Pike  County  he  was  appointed  by  Governor  McNutt  to 
fill  the  unexpired  term  of  Judge  Walker,  who  had  resigned. 


112 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Robert  Love  served  as  probate  judge  until  1836.  Judge  Hoover 
served  until  1840,  was  succeeded  by  William  Coney,  but  re-elected 
in  1842,  and  served  until  1848,  when  James  B.  Quin  was  elected, 
followed  by  J.  W.  McEwen  in  1849,  and  he  succeeded  in  1852  by  Dr. 
George  Nicholson.  In  1859  Nicholson  was  succeeded  by  Hugh  Murray 
Quin. 

T.  B.  Paddleford  was  probate  clerk  in  1839,  served  until  1845,  when 
Leonard  Magee  was  elected.  Magee  resigned  after  serving  one  year, 
and  was  succeeded  by  H.  M.  Quin,  who  served  until  1853,  when 
Samuel  A.  Matthews  was  elected. 

In  1855  Matthews  was  elected  circuit  clerk  and  served  until  1861; 
Wiley  A.  Young,  probate  clerk  in  1855,  and  re-elected  in  1857  and 
1859,  and  was  succeeded  by  Charles  Bancroft  in  1861,  who  served 
until  1866. 

The  first  Masonic  lodge  established  in  Pike  County  was  Rising 
Virtue  Lodge,  No.  7,  and  was  located  near  Holmesville.  In  1846  it  was 
succeeded  by  and  merged  into  the  Holmesville  Lodge,  No.  69,  with 
George  Nicholson,  Master. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  town  of  Holmesville  had  acquired  a 
population  of  about  four  hundred  souls,  and  good  schools  were  main- 
tained here  as  well  as  other  sections  of  the  county.  Samuel  T.  Gard, 
Professor  Vincent,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Conerly,  Joseph  Smith,  Thomas  R. 
Stockdale,  S.  McNeil  Bain,  Charles  Bancroft,  Mrs.  Cecelia  R.  Forshey, 
Mary  Graves,  Ann  Strickland,  John  D.  Warner,  all  figured  as  teachers 
here. 

As  the  settlement  of  the  county  increased  and  the  agricultural 
interests  became  enlarged,  there  was  an  impetus  given  to  all  classes 
of  industry  and  the  professions,  excepting  the  manufacture  of  mer- 
cantile goods.  The  resources  of  the  people  were  agricultural.  The 
increase  in  the  production  of  cotton  induced  an  increase  of  slave 
laborers,  purchased  from  traders  coming  from  Kentucky,  Tennessee 
and  Virginia,  and  as  the  farmers  became  able  many  of  them  invested 
largely  of  their  farm  earnings  in  negroes.  The  markets  for  their  cot- 
ton were  Covington,  New  Orleans,  Baton  Rouge  and  Natchez,  trans- 
ported to  each  of  these  places,  except  New  Orleans,  by  ox- wagons, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


113 


under  the  care  of  trusty  negro  drivers.  Looms,  spinning-wheels, 
cards  and  reels  were  kept  in  motion  on  the  farms  and  plantations  in 
order  to  provide  the  coarser  fabrics  for  family  use  and  clothing  for 
the  slaves.  It  must  not  be  understood  that  all  the  citizens  of  Pike 
County  were  slave  owners.  Perhaps  a large  majority  of  them  were 
not.  The  institution,  under  careful  management  and  control,  pro- 
duced wealth,  and  through  its  distribution  an  elevating  and  prosperous 
condition  was  manifested.  The  self-sustaining  characteristics  of  the 
population  engendered  a feeling  of  independence  and  patriotism.  The 
laws  provided  that  all  voters  should  be  enrolled  in  militia  companies 
and  attend  the  muster  drills,  which  were  usually  held  in  Holmesville 
or  near  there.  Fourth  of  July  celebrations  were  kept  up  in  different 
sections  of  the  county.  Horse  races,  foot  races  and  wrestling  matches 
and  other  athletic  sports  were  encouraged.  At  the  schools  these  and 
townball  constituted  sources  of  amusement,  and  the  large  number  of 
water  courses  in  the  county  enabled  the  boys  and  many  of  the  girls 
to  learn  to  swim.  The  shotgun  and  the  rifle  were  early  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  boys,  to  become  expert  in  their  use.  Their  fathers  and 
their  grandfathers  had  to  rely  on  them  for  defense  of  their  families 
against  wild  animals  that  infested  the  country,  and  hostile  Indians. 
Horseback  riding  prevailed  altogether  until  at  least  three  decades 
from  the  early  settlement  of  the  comity.  Buggies  and  carriages  at 
$250  and  $500  could  only  be  afforded  by  men  of  large  means.  Those 
who  owned  them  in  Pike  County  prior  to  1850  could  be  numbered  on 
the  fingers  of  the  hand.  Judge  Christian  Hoover  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  man  in  Pike  Comity  to  own  a buggy,  a veritable  curiosity  in 
the  sight  of  the  masses.  Later  on  they  came  out  with  finer  turn- 
outs— closed  carriages  and  handsome  spans,  but  these  were  few  and 
far  between.  The  great  body  of  cotton  planters,  though  able,  stuck 
to  the  noble  horse  and  saddle.  The  girls  were  all  taught  to  ride 
horseback,  and  this  is  the  way  they  went  to  church,  the  celebrations 
and  to  the  fandangoes.  The  roads  would  be  lined  up  with  long 
columns  of  pairs  on  horseback. 

At  the  Fourth  of  July  celebrations  great  dinners  were  provided, 
with  the  finest  barbecued  meats  and  all  the  good  things  the  county 


114 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


could  afford.  Everybody  contributed.  Holmesville  was  noted  for 
these  splendid  occasions.  Orators  were  provided,  from  whose  lips 
gems  of  beautiful  thoughts  flashed  and  electrified  the  masses  and  made 
brighter  the  dreams  of  aspiring  youth.  The  grounds  were  smoothed 
off,  or  platforms  erected,  music  provided,  and  the  resplendent  beauty 
of  our  country  girls  mingled  in  the  mazes  of  the  dance  with  the  gallant 
and  chivalric  young  men.  The  banks  of  old  Bogue  Chitto  were  decked 
with  gayest  attire.  On  what  was  once  the  island  at  the  foot  of  the 
bridge  in  the  beech  grove  was  a favorite  place  for  these  events.  The 
dawn  was  broke  by  the  thunder  of  an  improvised  cannon,  which  was 
kept  up  through  the  day.  Old  Glory  waved  proudly  from  a staff  a 
hundred  feet  high.  The  music  of  the  fife  and  drum  and  the  parading 
of  volunteer  companies,  under  officers  with  attractive  uniforms  and 
brass  buttons,  stirred  their  patriotic  ardor. 

At  Tylertown,  when  the  people  of  that  section  overflowed  with 
love  for  their  country,  they  got  up  a Fourth  of  July  barbecue  there. 
Cullen  Conerly,  as  orator  of  the  day,  instilled  their  minds  with  the 
sentiments  of  ’76,  and  William  G.  Tyler,  one  of  Jackson’s  old  artillery 
boys  of  Chalmette  fame,  made  the  indelible  impress  with  the  boom 
of  his  own  manufactured  mortars,  over  there  across  Magees  Creek, 
where  Mike  Roark  taught  school,  and  limbered  up  obstreperous  youths 
with  hickory  poles.  From  Pike  to  Pinder  Ridge,  in  Washington 
Parish,  Flem  Berkhalter  with  his  noted  violin,  chased  the  midnight 
demons  away  and  lit  the  halls  where  smiles  and  beauty  beamed,  with 
an  inspiration  that  in  memory  floats  adown  the  channel  of  time  like 
an  enchanting  dream. 

Holmesville  got  to  be  a great  resort,  and  through  the  summer 
months  was  often  crowded  with  people  seeking  rest  and  relief  from 
the  unhealthful  atmosphere  of  New  Orleans  and  the  dangers  of  cholera 
and  yellow  fever  which  often  prevailed  there.  Its  healthfulness, 
picturesque  scenery,  pure  water,  facilities  for  outdoor  sports  and  quiet 
pleasures,  made  it  a desirable  place  for  a summer  vacation.  It  was 
a trip  across  Lake  Ponchartrain  and  a carriage  ride  for  sixty-five  miles 
from  Covington,  but  it  was  a mecca  of  country  hog  and  hominy,  pure 
milk  and  butter,  solid  clabber  and  cream,  fat  ’possum  and  sweet 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


115 


potatoes,  eggs  and  chicken  pie.  The  beautiful  river  with  its  crystal 
waters  flowing  past  its  doors  afforded  recreation  in  boating,  bathing 
and  fishing.  How  many  angelic  forms  have  been  mirrored  in  its 
classic  waters?  Campbell,  with  his  multiplied  inspiring  genius  has 
not  given  mankind  a touch  of  the  picture  Bogue  Chitto  offered  then 
to  the  master  poets  and  painters  of  the  world.  Its  verdant  banks, 
its  cool  retreats,  its  climbing  vines,  the  perfume  of  its  wild  flowers, 
the  trilling  notes  of  woodland  songsters,  the  thrill  of  the  soul  that 
beauty  and  loveliness  bring. 

In  the  forties  Robert  Ligon  got  possession  of  the  Bearden-Sparkman 
Hotel.  He  had  married  Bearden’s  beautiful  daughter,  Angeline,  a 
young  woman  of  most  pleasing  manners,  and  being  a man  of  fine 
address  and  social  qualities,  his  house  was  crowded  with  guests. 
Barney  Louis  came  in  afterward,  and  in  company  with  Robert  Ligon, 
began  the  publication  of  the  Southron,  a newspaper  very  much  needed, 
which  acquired  a large  circulation  and  became  a medium  of  great 
interest  to  the  people.  Later  on,  in  1853,  this  paper  fell  into  the 
hands  of  Henry  S.  Bonney,  who  clung  to  its  helm  all  through  this 
eventful  decade. 

A few  of  the  abler  classes  of  citizens  began  to  bring  in  pianos. 
The  violin,  the  guitar,  banjo  and  flute  had  come  in  with  the  march 
of  the  fife  and  drum  and  quills.  In  the  moonlight  nights  around  the 
hotel  would  cluster  old  and  young  to  listen  to  the  strains  of  music 
and  soft  sweet  voices  of  charming  girls  and  women.  All  over  the 
county  beautiful  plantation  homes  were  coming  to  the  front.  Up 
and  down  the  Bogue  Chitto,  from  Judge  Hoover’s,  on  either  side,  to 
Dillontown;  out  on  the  Tangipahoa,  the  Topisaw,  Sweetwater,  Silver 
Creek,  Magees  Creek  and  the  Bahala,  the  charm  of  rural  life  was  exem- 
plified with  an  industrious  hum  and  prosperous  conditions  Peace 
and  plenty,  happiness  and  contentment,  prevailed  everywhere. 

Early  in  the  forties  John  D.  Jacobowsky  came  in  from  Prussia, 
settled  in  Holmesville  and  opened  a mercantile  business,  being  asso- 
ciated with  Joseph  Hart,  who  married  his  sister,  Susan,  and  later  on 
with  Jake  Hart,  his  nephew,  who  married  Pauline  Hilbom,  sister  to 
Ben.  Hilbom. 


116 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Pincus  Morris,  Mike,  Mary,  Sarah,  Hannah,  and  Bertha  Were 
children  of  Joe  Hart  and  Susan  Jacobowsky. 

Hyman,  Meyer,  Isaac  and  Simon  Lichenstein  were  residents  of 
Holmesville  and  occupied  a store  on  the  corner  opposite  that  of 
Jacobowsky  and  Hart,  the  latter  being  on  the  same  block  and  con- 
nected with  the  hotel  building.  Across  the  street  from  Jacobowsky 
and  Hart  was  the  store  of  Dr.  George  Nicholson,  who  owned  that 
block,  upon  which  his  residence  stood,  since  occupied  by  Robert 
Bridges. 

From  the  little  log  hut  occupied  by  Kline  as  a grocery  the  Cali- 
fornia House  sprung  into  life,  which  was  constructed  into  a-  first-class 
barroom,  owned  by  Lemuel  J.  Quin. 

Parham  B.  Williams,  who  married  Miss  Brent,  a sister  of  John  A. 
Brent,  and  who  was  elected  sheriff  in  1848,  lived  in  a pretty  two-story 
house  in  the  upper  part  of  town  called  Sandy  Hook.  Across  the  street 
from  him  was  the  residence  of  Mr.  McCarley,  who  married  a sister  to 
Williams’  wife,  the  mother  of  John  and  George  McCarley. 

On  the  place  settled  by  Thomas  Ellzey  in  Holmesville,  afterwards 
owned  by  Dr.  James  M.  Nelson,  and  latterly  by  Twist,  opposite  the 
old  Peter  Quin  place,  a well  was  dug  thirty  feet  below  the  surface 
and  a large  cypress  log  was  reached.  It  was  discovered  that  on  this 
log  a fire  had  been  built,  which  was  indicated  by  the  charred  remains 
on  top  of  it  and  the  fragments  of  wood  used  in  building  the  fire.  The 
log  was  cut  through  and  the  well  completed.  This  circumstance  indi- 
cated that  ages  ago  the  charming  hammock  upon  which  the  town  of 
Holmesville  was  built  was  once  a cypress  swamp  or  lagoon. 

Below  town  at  a point  where  a slough  made  out  on  the  western 
side  of  the  river,  a rock  dam  was  constructed  to  raise  the  height  of 
the  water  in  this  slough.  Just  above  the  junction  with  its  river  below 
a mill  was  built  over  it  by  Sparkman  and  Arthur,  which  was  run  by 
a large  undershot  wheel.  Rev.  Bryant  Louis  became  the  owner  of 
this  mill.  He  subsequently  took  Owen  Conerly  as  a partner,  who 
afterwards  became  sole  owner,  and  constructed  a framed  dam  across 
the  main  river  opposite  the  mill  in  1857  or  1858,  the  foundation  of 
which  is  there  yet.  This  writer,  as  a boy,  pulled  the  trigger  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


117 


battering  ram  that  sent  the  piling  of  that  dam  down  through  the  gravel, 
an  inch  a lick.  It  was  a long,  tedious  job,  but  it  was  a lasting  one. 
This  mill  was  purchased  by  William  Guy,  and  subsequently  went  to 
decay,  but  the  frame  foundation  across  the  river  is  still  preserved. 

William  Zeigler,  who  married  Miss  McClendon,  sister  of  Stephen 
McClendon,  was  one  of  the  older  settlers  of  Pike  and  lived  in  Holmes- 
ville  on  the  block  north  of  the  home  of  Dr.  George  Nicholson.  Due 
east  of  Zeigler  was  the  home  of  the  Lichensteins ; on  the  same  block 
was  the  home  of  R.  H.  Miskell  (Captain  Dick),  the  postmaster. 

E.  H.  Pezant  kept  a grocery  store  in  a building  adjoining  the  Cali- 
fornia House ; then  came  John  T.  Lamkin’s  law  office  and  Dr.  Wallace’s 
drug  deparment. 

South  of  the  Lichensteins  was  the  home  of  the  Widow  Sparkman, 
wife  of  Reddick,  the  hotel  builder.  East  of  her  was  Josh  Bishop  and 
his  father,  who  owned  Nancy,  a faithful  negro  Woman,  who  was  his 
housekeeper  and  who  after  the  death  of  the  old  man  and  Josh  kept 
the  home  and  raised  and  educated  Josh  Bishop’s  only  two  children, 
“Sis”  and  her  brother  John.  She  earned  a support  for  herself  and 
these  two  helpless  orphans  by  taking  in  washing.  She  was  well 
respected,  and  sent  Sissie  and  her  brother  to  Sunday-school  and  church 
and  the  very  best  social  gatherings.  She  was  childless  herself  and 
devoted  her  life  to  the  support  and  education  of  these  two  white 
children  of  her  young  master  Her  grave  and  her  last  resting  place 
may  be  forgotten,  but  in  after  time  if  these  lines  should  chance  to 
fall  beneath  the  eyes  of  the  descendants  of  Johnnie  and  Sissie  Bishop, 
a responsive  voice  will  echo  back  to  the  little  cabin  in  Holmesville 
where  lived  and  died  this  good-hearted  black  mammy.  “God  bless 
Nancy  Bishop.” 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bickham,  widow  of  Thomas  Bickham,  of  Washing- 
ton Parish,  lived  in  the  southern  part  of  town.  She  was  the  mother 
of  Dr.  Benjamin  Bickham,  of  Hinds  County,  and  of  Louis  C.  Bickham, 
who  was  elected  sheriff  in  1859,  former  deputy  under  Robert  Bacot; 
also  Benton  and  Alexander  Mouton  Bickham  and  Mary,  who  married 
Dr.  Hillory  Quin;  Sarah,  who  married  Dr.  Germany,  and  Hannah, 


118 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


who  married  Richie  Quin.  Louis  Bickham,  the  sheriff,  married  Mar- 
garet Lindsey,  daughter  of  B.  B.  Lindsey,  a millwright. 

William  Monroe  Quin,  who  owned  a large  cotton  plantation  about 
eight  miles  west  of  town,  once  known  as  Quin  Station,  owned  a resi- 
dence and  lived  across  the  street  from  Mrs.  Bickham,  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  Dr.  Lucius  M.  Quin.  This  residence  was  built  by  Red- 
dick Sparkman.  Next  to  him,  on  same  block,  was  the  home  of 
Jacobowsky  and  Hart,  afterward  Wm.  A.  Barr.  East  of  this,  on 
Carroll  Srteet,  was  the  old  home  of  Tom  Guinea,  then  James  A.  Fer- 
guson and  Owen  Conerly.  At  the  foot  of  the  ridge,  on  the  west  and 
south  of  the  old  Liberty  road,  was  the  residence  of  John  S.  Lamkin, 
lawyer,  who  married  Bella  Tunison,  of  Monticello.  On  the  other 
side  was  the  Baptist  Church,  and  further  north  the  residence  of  S.  A. 
Matthews,  a native  of  Ohio,  who  married  Caroline,  daughter  of  William 
Ellzey.  Next  to  him,  and  facing  the  courthouse  square,  was  the  home 
of  John  T.  Lamkin,  the  lawyer  from  Georgia,  who  bought  it  from 
Wm.  A.  Stone  in  1839.  His  wife  was  Thurza  A.  Kilgore.  Crossing 
Leatherwood  while  on  his  way  to  Holmesville  he  met  with  an  accident 
and  lost  all  the  money  he  had,  $100  in  gold,  in  the  creek,  which  was 
never  recovered.  At  his  time  the  movement  for  volunteer  reinforce- 
ments for  the  army  in  Mexico  was  commenced,  and  he  was  one  of  the 
number. 

At  the  foot  of  Main  Street,  near  the  river,  two  men  from  Virginia, 
Horatio  and  Asa  Wingo,  club-footed  twins,  lived,  built  a hotel,  bar- 
room and  tenpin  alley.  Horatio  married  Miss  Brent  and  Asa  Mrs. 
Guinea.  They  were  rough  men  and  great  fighters,  and  they  were 
always  in  it  side  by  side  together.  Their  deformed  feet  necessitating 
perfectly  round  shoes,  and  their  weight  thrown  on  the  ankles  made 
it  difficult  to  stand  still,  and  in  walking  they  had  to  be  supported  by 
sticks,  good-sized  hickory  clubs,  which  they  used  in  their  personal 
encounters. 

The  Finches  came  to  Pike  County  from  Georgia  in  the  early  fifties. 
There  were  four  brothers  of  them,  James  A.,  John,  William  and  Milus. 
They  settled  on  Vamal  at  the  old  Burkhalter  place,  where  the  Holmes- 
ville and  Columbia  road  crosses.  William  and  Milus  joined  the  Quit- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


119 


man  Guards  and  both  of  them  died  in  the  Confederate  service.  James 
and  John  subsequently  settled  at  Holmesville.  John  Finch  was  the 
father  of  James,  Jr.,  Joseph  and  Thomas.  Being  left  a widower,  he 
married  Sally  Sandifer,  daughter  of  Jackson  Sandifer  of  Magees  Creek, 
and  sister  of  Joe  and  Wallace. 

A peculiar  circumstance  happened  shortly  after  the  Civil  War 
which  caused  young  James  Finch  to  be  sent  to  the  penitentiary  on  a 
charge  of  assault  and  battery  with  a dangerous  weapon  with  intent 
to  kill,  of  which  he  was  not  guilty.  He  got  into  an  altercation  with 
an  ex-slave  named  Prime  Ball  during  which  Ball  was  stabbed  in  the 
jaw  with  a pocket-knife.  After  serving  awhile  in  the  State  peni- 
tentiary Finch  made  his  escape  and  came  home,  but  eluded  arrest. 
There  was  a man  named  Doan,  who  had  come  in  from  Arkansas  and 
married  Widow  Ballew,  formerly  Miss  Brent.  Doan  was  oresent  at 
the  altercation  between  Finch  and  the  negro.  Ball  ana  while  Finch 
was  eluding  arrest  he  was  taken  sick  and  on  his  death-bed  confessed 
under  oath,  in  the  presence  of  legal  officers,  that  he  himself  had  stabbed 
Ball  in  the  jaw,  reaching  over  Finch’s  shoulder  during  the  altercation. 
He  was  a friend  to  Finch  and  promised  when  the  trial  came  that  he 
would  clear  Finch  of  the  charge,  but  failed  to  do  so  With  Doan’s 
confession  and  a petition  signed  by  all  the  prominent  men  of  the  county, 
Finch  walked  into  the  Governor’s  office  at  Jackson  and  stated  his 
case.  The  Governor  requested  him  to  call  again  at  4 p.  m.,  which  he 
did,  received  his  pardon  and  returned  home. 

The  knife-blade  rim  into  Prime  Ball’s  jaw  was  broken  off  in  it  and 
remained  in  the  jaw  for  two  years,  causing  an  enlargement  of  the  jaw 
and  a running  sore,  which  demanded  the  skill  of  a surgeon  when  the 
blade  was  discovered. 

It  must  be  remembered  by  the  reader  that  this  period  of  which  I 
write  Holmesville  "was  the  only  town  in  the  county.  No  other  had 
been  thought  of.  The  circuit  courts  were  held  in  the  spring  and  fall 
every  six  months,  and  lasted  two  weeks,  for  the  trial  of  civil  and  crimi- 
nal cases.  The  petit  jurors,  the  grand  jurors  and  the  witnesses,  liti- 
gants, curiosity  seekers,  sportsmen  and  lawyers  from  adjoining  coun- 
ties brought  great  crowds  of  people  to  the  courthouse.  The  hotels 


120 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  boarding  houses  were  unable  to  accommodate  the  crowds,  and 
hundreds  returned  home  at  night  or  scattered  out  among  friends  in 
the  vicinity. 

Wm.  R.  Johnson  had  married  Martha  Sparkman,  widow  of  Mr. 
Richmond,  who  succeeded  Robert  Ligon  in  the  hotel,  and  these  occa- 
sions were  a boom  for  it — the  California  House,  where  Bob  Wade  did 
the  mixing,  the  Wingo  Hotel,  bar  and  tenpin  alley.  Court  times  were 
lively  occasions  for  Holmesville,  and  the  term  never  ended  without 
a general  entertainment,  of  a delighted  public,  with  wrestling,  foot 
racing  and  fist  fights.  Without  these,  court  weeks  were  not  considered 
first-class  occasions.  Carroll  Newman  served  as  bailiff  for  many  years, 
and  his  voice  could  be  heard  a mile.  The  juror  who  failed  to  answer 
his  call  was  docketed  five  dollars. 

During  the  fifties,  when  Judge  McNair  held  the  bench,  the  Holmes- 
ville bar  was  composed  of  John  T.  Lamkin,  Oscar  J.  E.  Stuart,  Hugh 
Murray  Quin,  William  J.  Bain,  John  S.  Lamkin,  Thomas  Hoover, 
H.  E.  Weathersby  and  Thomas  R.  Stockdale;  and  the  visiting  lawyers 
were  David  W.  Hurst,  Hyram  Cassidy,  H.  F.  Johnson,  District 
Attorney  McMillan  and  Judge  Vannison  of  Monticello  and  Bentonville 
Taylor  of  Covington.  Thomas  R.  Stockdale  entered  the  practice 
after  two  years’  teaching  of  school  in  Holmesville.  He  was  a native  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  a graduate  of  a Pennsylvania  college. 

At  this  time  John  T.  Lamkin  was  the  great  criminal  lawyer  of 
South  Mississippi.  He  knew  every  man  in  the  county  and  was  a 
friend  to  them  all.  Pike  County  jurors  were  usually  men  of  moral 
excellence — crime  was  inexcusable.  The  killing  of  a human  being 
must  not  be  tolerated  under  any  circumstances.  This  was  the  fiat 
of  the  people.  The  law  of  God  said  “Thou  shalt  not  kill,”  “He  who 
sheds  man’s  blood  by  man  his  blood  shall  be  shed.”  This  was  a 
principle  that  lived  in  Pike  County;  criminals  knew  it  and  they 
knew  it  would  require  a Napoleon  to  save  them.  Lamkin  was  a 
man  of  superior  moral  and  magnetic  influence,  fine  physical  build, 
large,  protruding  eyes,  eloquent,  argumentative,  forceful,  convincing. 
He  knew  his  jurors  and  he  knew  the  power  he  must  bring  to  bear 
upon  them.  When  he  failed  to  acquit  one  charged  with  murder  or 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


12 1 


manslaughter  the  hangman’s  noose  and  the  walls  of  the  penitentiary 
were  the  visions  that  floated  before  the  eyes  of  the  culprits. 

In  1854  Frank  Carr  was  charged  with  the  murder  of  his  father, 
who  lived  on  the  head  of  Leatherwood.  There  was  an  old-fashioned 
muzzle-loading  squirrel  rifle  in  the  rack  over  the  door  of  the  house. 
Old  man  Carr  had  been  away  from  home  and  came  back  at  night 
intoxicated,  and  began  abusing  and  whipping  his  wife,  Frank’s 
mother;  Frank  interceded.  The  old  man  reached  for  the  rifle.  No 
one  knew  it  was  loaded.  F rank  seized  the  gun  and  in  the  scuffle  for 
the  possession  of  it  the  piece  fired  and  killed  Frank’s  father.  These 
are  about  the  facts.  Every  effort  was  made  in  a legal  way  to  save  his 
life.  He  was  condemned  by  a jury  and  was  hung  on  a gallows  erec- 
ted at  the  one-mile  post  on  the  old  Liberty  road  west  of  Holmesville 
in  the  presence  of  a large  gathering  of  people  from  the  surrounding 
country,  in  1856,  while  Robert  Bacot  was  sheriff.  The  writer,  then 
a fifteen-year-old  boy,  witnessed  the  execution.  He  did  not  then,  nor 
does  he  now,  believe  that  Frank  Carr  was  criminal  in  the  unfortunate 
killing  of  his  father. 

At  the  same  time  Bill  Catchings,  a negro,  was  hung  on  the  same 
gallows  with  Carr  for  the  murder  of  his  master,  Silas  M.  Catchings. 

During  Robert  Bacot’s  term  a man  named  Robertson  was  hung 
at  the  jail  on  the  public  square  for  the  murder  of  "Calico”  Williams. 
Williams’  wife  was  indicted  and  convicted  with  Robertson  and  given 
a life  sentence  in  the  penitentiary. 

At  the  hanging  of  Robertson  he  pleaded  so  hard  that  his  life  be 
spared  the  sheriff  submitted  it  to  a vote  of  the  people  present,  but 
the  majority  with  members  of  the  police  jury  said  that  the  law  must 
be  enforced.  The  sheriff  then  declined  to  spring  the  trap,  and  turned 
it  over  to  his  deputy,  Louis  C.  Bickham,  to  perform  the  duty  as  ordered 
by  the  court. 

In  1850  Dudley  W.  Packwood  came  to  Pike  County  and  settled 
at  China  Grove,  on  the  old  Ralph  Stovall  property,  subsequently 
the  home  of  Owen  Conerly,  Sr.  He  was  bom  in  New  London,  Conn., 
in  1792,  and  came  to  New  Orleans  in  1810,  and  was  in  Jackson’s  army 
at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Coving- 


122 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


ton,  La.,  and  lived  in  Alabama,  where  his  two  sons,  Samuel  E.  and 
Joseph  H.,  were  bom. 

Dudley  W.  Packwood’s  father,  Joseph  Packwood,  was  a sea  cap- 
tain during  the  Revolutionary  War  and  served  in  the  interest  of  the 
colonies  against  Great  Britain.  In  a naval  engagement  he  lost  one 
of  his  eyes.  His  wife  was  Demise  Wright. 

Dudley  W.  Packwood’s  wife  was  Cathorine  Elliott,  bom  in  1803, 
eastern  shore  of  Maryland,  and  daughter  of  Samuel  Elliott.  She  sprung 
from  the  Waggaman  family,  mother’s  side,  of  the  eastern  shore.  She 
and  her  husband  were  married  in  Covington,  La.,  in  1817.  Her 
parents  died  when  she  was  very  young.  Dudley  W.  Packwood  was 
a farmer  and  lived  at  China  Grove  until  his  death,  aged  seventy-six. 
His  wife  died  in  1872. 

Their  elder  son,  Joseph  H.  Packwood,  was  a farmer  and  merchant 
and  spent  his  life  from  1850  to  his  death  in  1900  at  China  Grove. 
He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Joseph  Youngblood  and  Eliza  Bickham. 

Samuel  E.  Packwood  graduated  at  Centenary  College  in  1857, 
graduated  at  law  in  New  Orleans  in  1858,  and  began  the  practive  in 
St.  Francisville,  La.,  and  was  living  there  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War.  As  he  was  not  a member  of  any  of  the  companies  that  went 
out  from  Pike  County  it  would  be  proper  to  state  here  that  he  was  a 
member  of  the  13th  Mississippi  of  Barksdale’s  Brigade,  Army  Northern 
Virginia,  which  served  with  great  distinction  in  the  numerous  con- 
flicts in  Virginia,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  Pa. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  in  Holmes- 
ville,  and  after  removal  of  the  seat  of  justice  to  Magnolia  made  that 
place  his  home.  He  was  a member  of  the  State  House  of  Representa- 
tives, 1874-1876,  1892-1894,  and  of  the  Senate  1884  and  1886. 

Ballard  and  William  Raiford,  nephews  of  N.  B.  Raiford,  also  came 
to  Magees  Creek  about  1850  and  engaged  in  merchandising  at  China 
Grove.  Ballard  Raiford  married  Nancy,  daughter  of  Henry  B.  Lewis, 
who  lived  in  the  Darbun  neighborhood.  William  Raiford  went  to 
Amite  County,  married  there  and  became  identified  with  that  county. 

Dr.  Booth,  a young  Englishman,  came  in  about  this  time,  married 
Sarah  Magee  and  settled  on  Magees  Creek  in  the  Jesse  Ball  neighbor- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


123 


hood,  and  he  and  Dr.  William  May  became  the  physicians  of  upper 
Magees  Creek. 

Dr.  James  M.  Nelson,  from  Tennessee,  was  one  of  the  conferees  of 
Drs.  Jesse  Wallace  and  Hillory  Quin  and  Nicholson  at  Holmesville. 

In  1850  a cold  wave  passed  over  the  country  destroying  the  crops 
in  the  month  of  May.  The  previous  year,  1849,  was  the  great  destruc- 
tive flood  year.  In  1855  a great  drouth  occurred,  and  the  following 
year  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  county  up  to  then  that 
grain  had  to  be  imported  for  farm  use. 

Christian  Fisher  operated  a shoe  shop  at  the  foot  of  Main  Street 
in  Holmesville  and  employed  a force  of  Dutch  shoemakers. 

Henry  Lotterhos  kept  a bakery  and  sold  ginger  cakes  and  beer. 
Afterwards  moved  to  Summit. 

William  C.  Alford  operated  a wagon  shop  on  Main  Street;  George 
Brumfield  a saddler’s  shop. 

Henry  Frances  was  a carriage  maker  and  had  his  shop  near  the 
foot  of  the  old  bridge,  and  Tom  Donahoe  was  one  of  his  workmen. 

Joe  Page  was  a carpenter,  and  lived  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  near  the 
Masonic  lodge.  He  married  the  widow  of  Henry  Francis,  who  was 
a sister  of  the  wife  of  H.  S.  Bonney. 

In  1849  and  1850  a tempreance  organization,  known  as  the  Sons 
of  Temperance,  was  kept  in  a flourishing  condition  at  China  Grove. 

In  1856  Sincerity  Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  No.  214, 
was  organized,  with  the  following  members:  James  H.  Laney,  Samuel 
F.  Gard,  John  G.  Leggett,  Oscar  J.  E.  Stewart,  Owen  Conerly,  Cullen 
Conerly,  William  C.  Alford,  Benjamin  Wright  Leggett,  Barney  Lewis, 
William  Hinson,  Felix  S.  Campbell  and  P.  Ballard  Raiford;  James  H. 
Laney,  Master;  Samuel  F.  Gard,  Senior  Warden;  John  G.  Leggett, 
Junior  Warden. 

Shortly  after  its  organization  under  the  charter,  John  T.  Lamkin, 
John  S.  Lamkin,  William  A.  Barr  and  William  McCusker  became 
members. 


124 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


THE  NEW  ORLEANS,  JACKSON  & GREAT  NORTHERN  RAILROAD. 

In  1848  a railroad  convention  was  held  in  the  city  of  New  Orleans, 
La.,  to  consider  the  construction  of  a steam  railway  to  penetrate 
Mississippi  and  to  connect  with  other  systems  then  in  operation. 
William  Ellzey  and  Ross  A.  Ellzey  were  sent  as  delegates  from  Pike 
County  to  the  convention. 

The  question  had  been  agitated  for  a number  of  years,  but  no 
definite  route  had  been  determined  upon.  There  were  three  parties 
in  the  convention,  favoring  different  routes.  That  party,  led  by  Tom 
Marshall,  then  president  of  the  Jackson  & Vicksburg  Railroad,  was 
in  favor  of  the  route  that  the  Yazoo  & Mississippi  Valley  road  now 
runs.  One  party  was  in  favor  of  crossing  the  Lake  Ponchartrain  at 
Madisonville  and  from  thence  to  Jackson,  pursuing  a course  which 
would  bring  it  to  the  town  of  Holmesville,  which  would  offer  a loca- 
tion and  facilities  for  one  of  the  finest  cities  in  the  State. 

After  two  weeks  of  discussion  it  was  finally  agreed  to  pursue  a 
route  passing  the  western  shore  of  Ponchartrain  and  crossing  the 
Pass  Manchac. 

James  Robb  was  one  of  the  zealous  advocates  of  this  great  enter- 
prise. 

The  articles  of  the  charter  of  the  company  were  formed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  provisions  of  a general  law  of  the  State  of  Louisiana, 
approved  March  11,  1850.  This  law  was  framed  in  conformity  with 
the  123d  article  of  the  constitution  of  1844,  which  limited  the  duration 
of  corporations  to  twenty-five  years. 

A convention  of  the  State  assembled  in  1852  to  frame  a new  con- 
stitution, abolished  this  restriction  and  delegated  to  the  Legislature 
the  power  of  granting  special  charters. 

An  act  was  passed  and  approved  April  22,  1853,  fixing  the  capital 
at  eight  millions  of  dollars,  with  exemption  from  taxation,  and  giving 
perpetual  existence,  besides  other  important  and  liberal  privileges. 

James  Robb,  L.  Matthews,  Wm.  H.  Garland,  Peter  Conway,  Jr., 
Judah  P.  Benjamin,  H.  C.  Carmack,  George  Clarke,  Isaac  T . Preston, 
J.  P.  Harrison,  Wm.  S.  Campbell,  Glendy  Burke,  R.  W.  Montgomery, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


125 


H.  S.  Buckner,  A.  D.  Kelly  and  E.  W.  Moise  were  appointed  com- 
missioners for  the  purpose  of  receiving  subscriptions  to  the  stock  of 
the  corporation.  James  Robb  was  elected  president  of  the  company. 
The  subscription  books  were  opened  in  New  Orleans  in  April,  1851, 
and  $300,000  conditionally  subscribed. 

Subscriptions  to  the  amount  of  $3,250,000  were  received  on  the 
line  of  the  railroad. 

Louisiana  took  shares  to  the  amount  of  $1,600,000,  which  added 
to  the  previous  subscriptions  increased  the  total  stock  to  $4,850,000. 
A corps  of  engineers  was  organized  under  the  direction  of  Col.  W.  S. 
Campbell,  in  June,  1851,  and  commenced  an  examination  and  survey 
of  the  country  between  New  Orleans  and  the  State  line,  near  Osyka, 
which,  on  account  of  the  Ponchartrain  swamps  and  unbroken  forest, 
consumed  nearly  a year. 

In  1852  James  Clarke  entered  on  his  duties  as  chief  engineer  of 
the  southern  division. 

A law  granting  privileges  to  the  company  in  Mississippi  was  passed 
soon  after  the  organization  of  the  company. 

The  first  eleven  miles  of  the  road  were  put  under  contract  in  Sep- 
tember, 1852,  and  twenty-five  and  a half  miles  to  the  south  Pass 
Manchac  in  October. 

Early  in  December  the  road  to  the  State  line  was  let,  making  in 
all  eighty-seven  and  one-third  miles  under  contract  and  in  process 
of  construction. 

The  route  in  Louisiana  begins  at  Claiborne  Street,  following  the 
center  of  Calliope  to  Canal  Avenue,  then  deflects  to  the  west  by  a 
curve  of  11,460  feet  radius,  and  continues  straight  to  the  estate  of 
Minor  Kenner;  crosses  Bayou  La  Branch  about  a half-mile  from 
Lake  Ponchartrain,  and  continuing  nearly  parallel  with  its  western 
shore  to  the  thirtieth  mile,  crosses  South  Pass  Manchac  at  the  foot 
of  Lake  Maurepas,  on  the  thirty-seventh  mile,  reaching  the  pine 
woods  at  forty-six  miles  from  New  Orleans,  and  enters  Mississippi  at 
a place  which  belonged  to  a Mr.  Stephenson  and  John  H.  Moore  at 
the  time  of  completion  to  that  point  in  1854. 


126 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Jesse  Redmond,  who  settled  in  this  county  in  1812,  was  the  origi- 
nal owner  and  settler  on  the  land  upon  which  the  town  of  Osyka  was 
built.  He  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  in  1815. 

Louis  H.  Varnado  kept  the  first  hotel;  William  H.  Jones  the  first 
school;  James  Lea  the  first  store;  Jacob  Ott  the  first  steam  sawmill, 
all  in  1854.  Isham  E.  Varnado  furnished  nearly  all  the  shingles  to 
build  the  town.  The  churches  Were  built  in  the  following  order: 
Presbyterian,  Episcopalian,  Catholic  and  Baptist.  Oyska  was  the 
terminus  of  the  road  for  about  two  years.  It  built  up  rapidly,  many 
stores  were  added  to  the  town  and  it  became  the  focus  of  a large 
country  trade  which  had  previously  been  centered  at  Holmesville 
or  was  going  to  Covington,  Baton  Rouge  and  Natchez. 

During  1854  and  1855  the  work  on  the  railroad  progressed  slowly. 
The  financial  affairs  of  England  and  this  country  were  of  such  a nature 
that  the  company  was  not  able  to  convert  the  securities  into  cash  at 
anything  short  of  an  unwarrantable  sacrifice,  and  apart  from  their 
securities  they  had  little  or  nothing  with  which  to  carry  on  the  work. 
Five  miles  of  track  was  laid  and  crossties  for  ten  miles  more  were 
furnished.  The  iron  for  the  road  was  purchased  in  England  and  had 
to  be  transported  across  the  Atlantic  on  sailing  vessels. 

By  April,  1857,  the  road  was  completed  through  Pike  County,  and 
depots  established  at  Magnolia  and  Summit. 

Oscar  J.  E.  Stewart  owned  a negro  blacksmith  named  Ned,  who 
was  the  inventor  of  a double-geared  turning-plow  and  cotton  scraper, 
formed  so  as  to  off  bar  and  scrape  both  sides  of  the  cotton  row  at  once. 
Stewart  applied  in  Ned’s  name,  or  for  him,  to  the  patent  office  depart- 
ment for  a patent.  The  department  refused  to  grant  the  patent  in 
Ned’s  name  on  the  ground  that  he  was  a slave  and  not  recognized  as 
a man  or  citizen,  to  whom  patents  should  issue.  It  will  be  seen  later 
on  what  a different  construction  the  government  authorities  placed 
upon  the  constitution  in  reference  to  the  relations  of  the  negro  with 
that  sacred  instrument.  During  the  fifties  sectional  and  political 
feeling  ran  high. 

It  is  not  intended  in  this  work  to  enter  into  a discussion  of  the 
vexed  problems  and  political  upheavals  that  excited  the  entire  coun- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


127 


try  from  1850  to  1861,  but  to  show  by  a recital  of  facts  the  part  Pike 
County  took  in  events  of  that  period. 

In  1853-54  the  building  for  the  Holmesville  Lodge,  F.  & A.  M., 
No.  69,  was  contracted  for  by  John  Arthur.  John  Laurence  and  John 
Davidson  were  employed  on  the  building.  The  lumber  was  contracted 
for  with  Owen  Conerly  at  the  new  mill  he  had  constructed  on  Magees 
Creek,  fifteen  miles  distant.  It  was  a time  contract,  stipulating  that 
the  lumber  should  be  delivered  by  a certain  time,  and  had  to  be  hauled 
on  ox-wagons.  Owen  Conerly  had  a proviso  agreed  upon  and  inserted 
in  the  contract,  that  his  mill,  being  a water-mill,  in  case  of  long  drouth 
and  water  became  scarce,  and  he  was  thus  disabled  from  coming 
strictly  to  time,  he  was  to  have  further  indulgence.  This  condition 
happened,  and  Arthur  sued  him  for  damages  in  the  circuit  court. 
Conerly  managed  and  pled  his  own  side  of  the  case  and  won  it  before 
the  jury. 

This  Masonic  building  was  a two-story  house  and  was  erected 
north  of  the  residence  of  John  T.  Lamkin,  next  to  the  Methodist 
Church,  in  Sandy  Hook.  The  lower  story  was  divided  into  two 
rooms,  which  were  used  for  school  purposes.  It  was  here  that  Thomas 
R.  Stockdale,  in  1856-7  and  1857-58,  maintained  one  of  the  finest 
schools  ever  had  in  Holmesville,  assisted  by  two  excellent  young  ladies, 
Miss  Mary  Graves,  who  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Dr.  John  Huff- 
man, a dentist,  and  Miss  Ann  Strickland.  It  was  a mixed  school  of 
young  men,  boys  and  girls.  They  were  about  equally  divided  in 
numbers,  and  the  classes  were  graded  and  mixed  in  recitations,  but 
separate  in  rooms,  and  the  girls  were  taught  the  higher  branches  the 
same  as  the  boys,  and  in  classes  with  them.  In  closing  the  school 
term  in  1858,  Prof.  Stockdale  gave  one  of  the  grandest  school  examina- 
tions and  exhibitions  ever  held  in  the  town  or  county.  It  was  held 
in  the  Methodist  Church.  After  the  close  of  this  school  Stockdale 
took  up  the  study  of  law  and  soon  graduated. 

S.  McNeil  Bain  and  wife;  William  J.  Bain,  a young  lawyer,  and 
Miss  Orrie  Gillis,  from  Illinois,  then  came  to  Holmesville,  and  the  school 
was  taken  by  McNeil  Bain  and  Orrie  Gillis,  and  taught  by  them  the 
next  two  years. 


128 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


At  one  of  the  meetings  of  Holmesville  Lodge  James  Finch,  who 
was  a member,  had  a dog  to  follow  him,  which  got  into  the  ante-room 
and  went  to  sleep.  The  lodge  closed  and  left  the  dog  locked  up  in 
the  building.  The  building  was  not  otherwise  in  use,  and  when  the 
lodge  met  again  the  next  moon  there  they  found  Finch’s  lost  dog, 
still  alive. 

Josephus  R.  Quin  constructed  a handsome  residence  opposite  the 
Methodist  Church.  His  wife  was  Miss  Murphy,  of  Kentucky,  sister 
of  Captain  Murphy,  of  the  Summit  Rifles.  They  had  two  little  girls, 
Mollie  and  Katy.  Their  residence  was  subsequently  occupied  by 
Dr.  Coates  and  then  by  William  A.  Barr. 

Henry  S.  Bonney,  the  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Independent, 
consrtucted  a residence  and  lived  at  the  foot  of  the  ridge  on  the  south- 
ern border  of  the  town.  Dr.  James  M.  Nelson,  on  the  corner  opposite 
the  southwest  comer  of  the  public  square. 

William  Guy  married  Telitha  Tumage,  widow  of  Rev.  Bryant 
Lewis,  and  lived  in  the  two-story  residence  opposite  J.  D.  Jacobowsky. 

Col.  James  Roberts,  from  Washington  Parish,  constructed  a residence 
in  Sandy  Hook  near  that  of  Sheriff  Parham  P.  Williams  and  Benjamin 
C.  Hartwell,  son-in-law  of  Judge  Christian  Hoover,  between  him  and 
the  Methodist  Church. 

William  Ellzey,  who  lived  some  five  miles  south  of  Holmesville, 
was  a brother  of  Thomas  Ellzey,  of  South  Carolina.  He  married 
Esther  Sibley,  of  Amite  County.  He  was  a large  cotton  planter  and 
slave  owner.  He  had  a son  William  (known  as  Dutch  Bill)  who  mar- 
ried a daughter  of  Joseph  B.  May,  on  Magees  Creek,  afterwards  wife 
of  Henry  Badon,  Jr.  Another  son,  Dewitt,  married  Amanda  Barr. 
His  daughter,  Caroline,  married  S.  A.  Matthews,  and  Nancy  married 
Dr.  D.  H.  Quin,  second  wife.  His  daughter  Angeline  married  John 
Keegan,  of  Monticello. 

William  Ellzey  emigrated  to  Natchitoches  Parish,  Louisiana,  in 
the  latter  part  of  the  fifties,  where  he  and  his  wife  and  an  unmarried 
daughter,  Emma,  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 

While  William  Ellzey  was  a member  of  the  railroad  convention 
in  New  Orleans  in  1848  he  was  one  of  the  advocates  of  crossing  the 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


129 


Ponchartrain  at  Madisonville  and  pursuing  as  nearly  as  practicable 
the  old  military  route  followed  by  General  Carroll  from  Jackson,  by 
way  of  Covington,  keeping  west  of  the  Bogue  Chitto  to  Holmesville. 

William  Coney  and  his  wife,  Rachel,  came  from  Georgia  early  in 
1800  during  the  territorial  government.  Their  sons  were  Jeremiah, 
Jackson,  William  and  Louis. 

Jeremiah  Coney’s  wife  was  Emily  Quin,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  Franklin,  William,  Van  C.,  Luke  J.,  Joel  R.,  Mary  E.,  Sarah  K., 
Caroline  A.,  Jane  and  Jerzine. 

Jackson  Coney  married  Emiline  Morgan,  and  their  children  were 
Jasper,  Loraine,  Charles  J.,  Rachel  and  Josephine  and  Wm.  L.  Coney. 

William  Coney’s  wife  was  Eliza  Morgan,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  Morgan,  Green,  Dariel,  Ann,  Eva  and  Rosa. 

Louis  Coney’s  wife  was  Isabell  Kaigler,  and  they  had  four  sons, 
Aquila,  William  and  John  (twins)  and  Louis.  John  and  William,  the 
twins,  were  so  nearly  alike  that  it  was  difficult  at  t'mes  to  tell  which 
was  John  and  which  was  William.  The  latter  had  a small  dimple  in 
one  cheek,  by  which  means  alone  persons  could  distinguish  them. 

A man  of  great  prominence  in  eastern  Pike  and  western  Marion 
in  a manner  identified  with  both  counties  was  Judge  Lemuel  Lewis. 

He  was  a son  of  Benjamin  Lewis  and  Celia , and  was  bom  in 

Rebecca  County,  North  Carolina,  in  1804,  and  married  Mary  Williams, 
a daughter  of  Giles  and  Sallie  Williams,  in  1824,  and  settled  in  Marion 
County  in  1831.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve  children,  as  follows: 
Cecelia,  who  married  Joseph  Smith,  the  school  teacher;  Sarah,  who 
married  Patrick  W.  R.  McAlpin,  school  teacher;  Martha,  who  mar- 
ried A.  J.  Brumfield;  Giles  W.,  who  married  Rebecca  Yarborough; 
Cathorine,  who  married  Thomas  Bickham;  Susan,  who  married  Jabez 
Yarborough;  Margaret,  who  married  Benjamin  Graves;  Alexander; 
Benjamin,  who  married  Margaret  Sumrall;  John,  who  married  Mary 
J.  Sumrall;  Rosa,  who  married  E.  Pigot;  Joseph,  who  married  Ellen 
Bass;  Malinda,  who  married  Ella  Pigot. 

Judge  Lewis  was  a most  exemplary  man  and  citizen.  He  was 
strictly  upright  and  honest,  religious  and  devoted  to  the  cause  of 
religion  and  justice;  and  all  of  his  children  were  Christian  people. 


130 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


He  was  a guiding  star  in  all  that  constituted  the  best  citizenship  in 
the  settlement  and  upbuilding  of  a new  country.  To  him  the  people 
looked  for  advice  and  counsel.  He  was  a strong  pillar  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  and  he  and  his  children  (most  of  whom  were  citizens  of  Pike) 
were  so  nearly  identified  with  Pike  County  that  he  was  always  claimed 
as  one  of  her  own. 

Judge  Lemuel  Lewis  was  Judge  of  the  county  court  of  Marion  for 
twenty-three  years,  and  filled  the  position  with  eminent  satisfaction 
to  his  people.  Being  a widower,  in  1865  he  married  Mary  Winbome, 
a daughter  of  David  Winbome,  on  Topisaw,  and  moved  to  that  place 
in  1867,  where  he  afterwards  lived  and  died. 

The  writer  knew  him  from  his  earliest  recollection,  and  can  give 
testimony  to  his  pure  and  unblemished  character,  in  addition  to  which 
it  is  related  of  him  by  others  that  he  was  one  of  the  best  men  that  ever 
lived.  But  he  lived  in  a community  of  western  Marion  and  eastern 
Pike,  composed  largely  of  men  of  noble  attributes  of  character,  among 
them  Stephen  Regan,  Hosey  Davies,  Dr.  Cowart,  Luke  Conerly, 
Owen  Conerly,  Sr.,  Needham  Raiford,  William  B.  Ligon,  Quinney 
Lewis — all  pioneers  and  Christian  people. 

In  1854  there  was  a cotton-picking  race  on  Magees  Creek  between 
John  Holmes,  son  of  Benjamin  Holmes,  and  Pearl  Harvey,  son  of 
Harris  Harvey,  that  excited  great  interest  in  the  community.  The 
picking  took  place  on  Benjamin  Holmes’  place,  by  draw,  and  John 
Holmes  came  out  the  winner  with  500  pounds  of  seed  cotton  in  one 
day’s  work.  This  was  a feat  that  few  if  anyone  had  eve  performed 
befo  e. 

In  1854  George  Stuart  emigrated  from  Scotland,  marri  d Mary  V. 
Magee,  daughter  of  Judge  T.  A.  Magee,  of  Franklin  County.  He 
procured  the  property  on  Clear  Creek  and  the  mill  buil  by  Michael 
McNulty  in  1846. 

After  the  railroad  reached  Magnolia  W.  W.  Vaught  settled  in  the 
pine  woods  east  of  the  town  and  erected  a steam  circular  sawmill, 
one  of  the  first  of  the  kind  put  in  operation  in  the  county.  Previous 
to  this  time  all  the  sawmills  in  the  county  were  run  by  water  power 
and  were  upright  mills.  The  machinery  of  the  Vaught  mill  was 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


131 


brought  up  from  New  Orleans  on  the  cars  to  Osyka  in  1855,  and  was 
hauled  from  there  to  its  location  east  of  Magnolia  on  the  old  Holmesville 
road.  David  Ulmer  was  connected  with  this  mill. 

Abraham  Hillier  was  from  Alsace,  Germany,  and  married  Caroline 
Openheimer  of  the  same  country  in  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  came  to  Pike 
County  in  1855,  and  settled  in  Magnolia,  where  he  engaged  in  the  busi- 
ness of  merchandising,  and  whose  children  became  permanently 
identified  with  town.  Their  children  are  Jonas,  Ellie,  Annie  and 
Albert. 

Marmaduke  Mitchell  married  Mary  Bradley  Tupple,  of  Tennessee, 
born  and  raised  in  North  Carolina.  He  emigrated  to  the  Territory 
of  Mississippi  and  first  settled  near  Camden,  and  came  to  Pike  County  in 
in  i860.  He  was  the  father  of  Algenon  Mitchell,  who  married  Eliza- 
beth Tilman,  sister  to  Mary  and  Lucy  Tilman.  He  was  the  father  of 
Algenon,  a member  of  the  Summit  Rifles,  who  had  been  detailed 
with  a force  of  marines  and  was  killed  at  Balls  Bluff  on  the  James 
River  in  Virginia,  in  a skirmish  with  the  enemy,  three  or  four  days 
after  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Appomattox. 

Algenon  Mitchell,  Sr.,  built  a steam  sawmill  about  one  mile  west 
of  Summit  and  subsequently  took  J.  J.  White  as  a partner. 

John  Tilman  married  Rachel  Martin  and  moved  from  South  Caro- 
lina to  Tennessee. 

Rachel  Martin  was  the  daughter  of  Matthew  Marshall  Martin,  of 
South  Carolina,  one  of  the  brothers  engaged  in  the  Revolutionary 
War. 

In  1858  two  balloonists,  a man  and  a woman,  ascended  in  a balloon 
in  New  Orleans  with  the  intention  of  sailing  to  Jackson,  Miss.  They 
went  up  late  in  the  afternoon,  sailed  over  Lake  Ponchartrain,  pro- 
gressing finely  until  they  passed  the  dividing  line  of  Washington  Parish 
and  Pike  County,  near  the  home  of  Dr.  McQueen.  The  balloon  came 
down  nearer  to  the  earth  than  they  supposed  and  became  entangled 
in  the  top  of  a tree,  some  fifty  feet  above  the  ground.  In  this  deplor- 
able condition  the  occupants  had  to  remain  until  daylight,  when  the 
man  arranged  some  lines  and  let  himself  down,  then  went  to  the  house 
of  McQueen,  who  got  the  assistance  of  Chauncey  Collins  and  secured 


132 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


the  safe  release  of  the  woman  from  her  perilous  situation,  and  saved 
the  balloon.  The  circumstance  created  a great  sensation  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  county.  There  were  many  who  had  never  heard  of  a 
balloon. 

It  was  announced  by  the  balloonists  that  a lecture  would  be  given 
at  Conerly’s  postoffice  (Tylertown),  and  an  exhibition  showing  the 
philosophy  of  air  navigation  for  which  a small  fee  would  be  charged 
to  enable  them  to  pursue  their  journey  overland  to  Jackson.  This 
brought  out  nearly  all  the  people  for  miles  around,  who  were  well 
entertained  by  the  woman’s  lecture  and  the  ascension  of  large  paper 
balloons  inflated  with  hot  air.  The  same  was  done  at  Holmesville, 
and  the  peculiar  accident  of  the  aerial  navigators  proved  a source  of 
profit.  Some  very  large  paper  balloons  were  sent  up  at  Holmesville 
and  floated  off  in  a southern  direction.  Ghost  stories  were  numerous 
then.  Mysterious  manifestations  were  frequently  spoken  of.  The 
old  Cleveland  house  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  was  a noted  abandoned 
residence  where  no  family  could  live  on  account  of  the  restless  and 
ever-demonsratable  antics  of  its  unseen  occupants.  The  fame  of  this 
old  house  had  spread  far  and  wide,  not  only  among  the  naturally 
superstitious  negroes,  but  among  the  whites  as  well;  and  these  paper 
balloons  cut  a dash  that  overturned  the  equilibrium  of  human  reason 
for  a few  days  in  some  neighborhoods,  until  an  inquest  could  be  held 
to  establish  the  fact  that  they  were  really  earthly. 

It  was  a dark  night,  and  one  of  these  balloons  floated  off  and  dropped 
in  the  pathway  of  Wm.  M.  Conerly,  who  had  witnessed  the  exhibition 
and  who  lived  two  miles  below  town.  On  his  return  home  he  encoun- 
tered the  ghost  standing  erect  in  his  path,  which  led  through  a dark, 
thick  skirt  of  timber.  At  first  he  said  he  was  shocked  at  the  sudden 
appearance  of  the  apparition.  All  the  hobgoblin  stories  he  had  ever 
heard  of  flashed  upon  his  memory.  He  stood  in  speechless  amaze- 
ment and  looked  at  it  for  a moment,  then  thought  of  the  big  paper 
balloons  which  he  had  seen  sent  up  and  floated  off  in  this  direction. 

One  of  the  great  secrets  conducive  to  the  successful  management 
of  the  negro  race  in  slavery  times  was  the  cultivation  of  a cheerful 
and  happy  disposition,  and  in  their  leisure  hours  the  enjoyment  of 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


133 


music  and  the  dance.  Those  who  had  a talent  for  instrumental  music 
were  provided  with  the  violin,  the  banjo,  the  tambourine  or  other 
instruments.  Many  of  them  arranged  cane  quills  with  all  the  notes 
accompanied  with  stringed  instruments  and  the  tambourine,  and  they 
learned  from  their  young  masters  and  mistresses  all  the  negro  dialect 
songs  of  the  period — “Old  Kentucky  Home,”  “Nelly  Gray,”  “ ’Way 
Down  on  the  Suwanee  River,”  “Jump,  Jim  Crow,”  “Old  Folks  at 
Home”  and  “Hog  Eye.” 

They  never  had  any  thoughts  or  cares  for  the  future.  Their 
masters  provided  everything.  They  lived  in  good  comfortable  cabins 
with  as  many  rooms  as  necessary  for  the  health  and  comfort  of  the 
families,  with  yards  for  their  own  chickens,  and  garden  patches, 
usually  cultivated  by  the  wife  and  mother  of  the  family.  On  the 
small  farms  the  master  and  mistress  attended  the  sick  in  person,  and 
where  a doctor  was  necessary  he  was  provided  with  the  same  prompt- 
ness as  for  the  members  of  the  wrhite  family.  On  the  larger  planta- 
tions comfortable  hospital  buildings  were  kept  in  constant  readiness 
under  the  care  of  a salaried  physician.  As  a slave  the  great  mass  of 
negroes  in  the  South  were  a contented  and  happy  people.  Discipline 
and  work  were  necessary  for  his  support  and  well  being.  He  did  not 
have  to  worry  over  the  question  of  how  he  was  to  get  his  rations  or 
to  feed  his  wife  and  children.  To  do  the  will  of  his  master  as  directed 
was  the  routine  of  his  life;  and  he  could  lie  down  and  sleep  without 
any  thought  for  to-morrow.  “Sufficient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil 
thereof.”  Come  day,  go  day,  with  a full  stomach,  gave  him  content- 
ment. He  was  allowed  the  enjoyment  of  holiday  seasons,  a half- 
holiday on  Saturday,  to  go  to  town  or  to  the  stores  to  do  his  little 
trading,  have  his  fandangoes,  or  go  to  meeting  on  Sunday  in  the 
country  where  the  white  folks  worshipped,  or  have  a minister  to  preach 
to  them  separately. 

MUST  TAKE  A DUCKING. 

In  nearly  all  the  large  schools  in  Pike  County  it  got  to  be  customary 
for  all  male  students  who  entered  after  the  first  week’s  organization 
to  be  subjected  to  different  kinds  of  hazing,  and  when  the  school  was 


134 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


located  near  a stream  they  must  be  ducked.  Not  only  the  boys  were 
to  be  ducked,  but  on  occasions  of  public  holiday,  if  the  teacher  refused 
to  give  the  students  the  privilege  the  same  penalty  was  put  upon 
him,  and  they  never  allowed  the  schools  to  proceed  after  the  holiday 
until  this  work  was  accomplished,  or  a compromise  agreed  upon. 
It  was  an  annual  species  of  fun  practiced  in  the  schools  of  Michael 
Roark.  He  never  would  grant  the  vacation  on  the  4th  of  July,  and 
he  always  got  his  “ducking,”  because  he  would  face  the  music  and 
try  to  outwit  the  boys  and  have  school  on  the  4th  or  any  other  holiday. 

Roark  was  an  Irishman,  and  while  he  was  one  of  the  strictest 
disciplinarians  as  a teacher  he  was  a jolly-natured  man,  and  he  put 
himself  in  the  position  to  be  acted  upon. 

This  was  also  a noted  practice  with  the  Holmesville  schools.  As 
a rule  the  teachers  would  yield  to  the  wishes  of  the  students,  but 
occasionally  one  would  come  along  who  would  refuse  the  application 
of  the  school  for  the  accustomed  event. 

In  1855-56  Edward  Carruth  taught  school  in  Holmesville.  He 
had  a large  school  and  a number  of  young  men ; among  them  were 
Frank  and  Tom  Roberts,  Plummer  Johnson,  Benton  Bickham,  Walter 
Bridges,  and  a good  platoon  of  lesser  lights.  Inquiries  were  quietly 
made  several  days  previous  whether  Mr.  Carruth  was  going  to  give 
us  4th  of  July.  No  answer  could  be  obtained  until  the  close  of  the 
day’s  school  on  the  3d,  when  one  of  the  scholars  arose  from  his  seat 
and  asked  him  if  he  was  going  to  give  us  4th  of  July.  Carruth  spite- 
fully answered  “no,”  and  ordered  him  to  take  his  seat.  This  was 
regarded  as  a challenge  to  battle,  and  the  boys  accepted  it.  The 
following  morning  the  school  house  was  barricaded  and  no  one  allowed 
to  enter  it.  At  the  usual  hour  Carruth  came  walking  up  and  was 
met  face  to  face  by  the  entire  school  of  youngsters.  A note  was 
handed  him  which  read: 

“Sir:  Unless  you  consent  to  give  the  usual  4th  of  July  holiday 
you  will  not  be  permitted  to  open  school  again  this  week.” 

Signed,  “The  Whole  School.” 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


135 


Carruth  turned  pale,  gritted  his  teeth  and  compressed  his  lips, 
stepped  back  with  one  foot  and  ran  his  hand  under  the  breast  of  his 
coat,  as  if  to  say,  like  Rhoderic  Dhu: 

“Come  one,  come  all,  this  rock  shall  fly 
From  its  firm  base  as  soon  as  I.” 

“Gentlemen,  stand  back;  I am  armed!”  “Shoot  and  be 
d-d-ducked,”  some  one  said.  “You'll  be  d-d-ducked  in  that  river!” 
The  boys  moved  up,  Carruth  commenced  backing,  the  boys  crowded 
on.  “Duck  him!  Duck  him!”  They  chorused  it.  The  teacher 
wheeled  about  face — a good  run  better  than  a bad  stand!  and  made 
for  his  boarding-house,  closely  pursued  by  the  boys,  yelling  like  tigers. 
The  whole  town  turned  out.  It  was  a gala  day  for  the  boys.  Car- 
ruth was  imprisoned  in  his  room.  They  couldn’t  enter  his  premises, 
but  they  guarded  them  day  and  night,  and  the  schoolhouse  too.  They 
kept  it  up  all  the  week  and  would  have  prolonged  the  siege  indefinitely 
had  not  the  patrons  interceded  and  persuaded  the  young  men  and 
boys  to  let  the  school  open  again  the  following  week.  The  larger 
boys  were  expelled  from  school  by  the  teacher  and  the  younger  chaps 
given  a severe  lecture,  and  more  especially  the  “kid”  that  had  the 
audacity  to  hand  him  that  note — the  one  who  records  this  incident. 
But  it  was  the  turning  point  for  the  usefulness  of  Carruth’s  school. 
From  that  day  until  the  close  of  the  term  it  waned.  He  was  disliked 
by  his  scholars  and  his  influence  with  them  was  gone  forever. 


136 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


CHAPTER  V. 

Levi  Bacot  was  elected  a member  of  the  State  Legislature  for  the 
sessions  of  1856  and  1857.  His  father,  Laban  Bacot,  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  and  sheriff  of  Pike  County  after  Mississippi  had  been  con- 
stituted a State,  was  a member  of  the  constitutional  convention  in 
1832,  noted  for  taking  the  advance  step  in  making  the  judiciary 
elective. 

About  this  time  Levi  Bacot  was  married,  in  the  town  of  Holmes- 
ville,  to  Miss  Ann  Roberts,  daughter  of  Col.  James  Roberts,  of  Wash- 
ington Parish,  Louisiana.  At  this  time  Robert  Bacot  was  sheriff  of 
the  county. 

In  1857  the  railroad  track  was  laid  to  Summit,  a depot  established 
there  and  Lemuel  J.  Quin  employed  as  agent.  George  T.  Gracey  ran 
the  first  engine  into  Summit,  and  succeeded  Lemuel  J.  Quin  as  agent. 

A flag-station  was  located  at  Chatawa  between  Osyka  and  Mag- 
nolia, and  another  one  on  the  plantation  of  William  Monroe  Quin, 
between  Magnolia  and  Summit,  and  called  Quin  Station. 

The  Sincerity  Lodge  of  Pree  and  Accepted  Masons,  No.  214 
organized  at  Holmesville  by  dispensation  from  the  Grand  Lodge  was 
removed  to  Magnolia,  about  two  years  after  its  organization  in  1856. 

Much  of  the  large  trade  which  has  been  concentrated  at  Osyka 
was  turned  to  Magnolia,  and  after  the  establishment  of  depot  facili- 
ties at  Summit  the  trade  was  cut  up  between  these  towns. 

The  construction  of  the  railroad  through  the  county,  nine  miles 
distant  from  the  seat  of  justice,  and  scattering  of  an  immense  trade 
that  once  centered  there  to  these  new  railroad  towns  springing  up, 
foretold  the  decline  and  partial  extinction  of  the  once  beautiful  and 
romantic  town  of  Holmesville.  If  the  visions  that  sprung  into  the 
fertile  imaginations  of  William  and  Ross  A.  Ellzey,  at  the  railroad 
convention  in  New  Orleans  in  1848,  could  have  been  realized  by  the 
adoption  of  the  route  they  advocated,  not  a town  or  city  in  the  State 
could  have  surpassed  it  in  beauty,  loveliness  and  desirability  for  a 
home;  its  unequalled  water  facilities  for  the  promotion  of  all  kinds 
of  industries,  and  its  unsurpassed  healthfulness. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


137 


The  little  town  struggled  hard  for  existence  against  its  young  and 
growing  rivals. 

J.  D.  Jacobowsky  and  Jacob  Hart  and  the  Lichensteins  removed 
to  Summit.  William  A.  Barr  and  John  Holmes  set  up  in  the  comer 
occupied  by  Jacobowsky  & Hart.  Conerly  & Felder  and  Dr.  George 
Nicholson  kept  going,  and  the  seat  of  justice  still  maintained  there. 
Holmesville  was  spared  the  mortification  of  a premature  death  and 
ultimate  extinction  from  the  map  of  towns. 

In  1859  a military  company  was  organized  in  Holmesville  by  Pres- 
ton Brent,  recently  a graduate  of  Drennon  Springs  Military  Institute 
of  the  State  of  Kentucky,  with  twenty  or  thirty  members  from  the 
town  and  vicinity.  Their  uniforms  were  of  the  United  States  regu- 
lation blue,  with  brass  buttons,  and  caps  with  the  old  style  artillery 
cockade  plume.  They  were  provided  with  fife  and  drums,  and  the 
old  style  Harpers  Ferry  muskets,  and  had  their  monthly  drills. 
Preston  Brent  was  elected  captain  and  devoted  himself  to  the  task 
of  bringing  the  young  men  up  to  the  proficiency  taught  in  the  schools, 
and  was  patient,  kind  and  earnest  in  his  endeavors  and  gradually 
added  strength  to  the  ranks.  The  name  chosen  for  this  organization 
was  Quitman  Guards,  in  honor  of  Gen.  John  A.  Quitman,  who  had 
become  conspicuous  in  the  military  history  of  the  country  and  added 
ustre  to  its  fame. 

Some  time  in  the  early  part  of  i860  Miss  Rachel  E.  Coney,  the 
seventeen-year-old  daughter  of  Jackson  Coney  and  Emiline  Morgan, 
conceived  the  idea  of  presenting  a handsome  banner  to  Captain  Brent’s 
company,  and,  assisted  by  Miss  Nannie  Ellzey,  daughter  of  William 
Ellzey,  began  the  work  of  enlisting  the  ladies  of  Pike  County  in  the 
effort  to  accomplish  this  object,  and  an  association  was  organized 
in  Holmesville,  known  as  the  Quitman  Guards  Banner  Association, 
composed  of  the  following  ladies:  Madams  John  T.  Lamkin,  Samuel  A. 
Matthews,  Dr.  Jesse  Wallace,  John  S.  Lamkin,  Henry  S.  Bonney, 
J.  Cy.  Williams,  Dr.  George  Nicholson,  Hugh  Murray  Quin,  Louis  C. 
Bickham,  Wm.  Guy,  Dr.  D.  H.  Quin,  H.  F.  Bridges,  Richie  Quin, 
Christian  Hoover,  Hardy  Thompson,  Benjamin  C.  Hartwell,  Mrs. 
Eliza  Bickham,  Mmes.  Owen  Conerly,  William  A.  Barr,  John  A.  Brent, 


138 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Preston  Brent,  Jackson  Coney,  Widow  Tumipseed,  Mmes.  Andrew 
Ivaigler,  James  A.  Ferguson,  Wm.  Johnson,  Wm.  Monroe  Quin,  William 
Ellzey,  Jeremiah  Coney,  Cullen  Conerly,  R.  Y.  Statham,  James  Conerly, 

Wm.  M.  Conerly,  Joseph  Page,  Parham 
B.  Williams,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Ware,  and 
the  following  young  ladies:  Misses  Ra- 
chel E.  Coney,  Nannie  Ellzey,  Fanny 
Wicker,  Emma  Ellzey,  Laura  Tumip- 
seed, Fanny  A Lamkin,  Elizabeth  and 


Mrs.  Joe  Miller,  nee  Rachel  E.  Coney, 
Who  presented  the  Banner  to  the  Quitman 
Guards,  of  Pike  County,  in  i860,  on  the  part 
of  the  ladies  of  the  county,  and  was 
received  on  the  part  of  the  company 
by  Hugh  Eugene  Weathersby 
July  4th,  i860. 


Frances  Lamkin,  Mary  A.  Con- 
erly, Mrs.  Jennie  McClendon, 

Lucy  Brumfield,  Victoria  Wil- 
liams, Louvenia  Williams,  Sarah 
K.  Coney,  Mary  E.  Hartwell, 

Eliza  Hoover,  Nannie  Wells, 

Julia  Hoover,  Mollie  Quin,  Alice 
Quin,  Alvira  Sparkman,  Bettie 
Miskell,  Eliza  Thompson,  Elizabeth  Thompson,  Cathorine  Conerly, 
Eliza  Conerly,  Mollie  Magee,  Mary  E.  Vaught,  Julia  Bacot,  Maggie 
Martin,  Martha  Jane  Sibley,  Julia  Kaigler,  Louisa,  Mary  and  Levisa 
Newman,  Eliza  and  Ellen  Guy,  and  the  following  chosen  as  flower 


Mrs.  W.  J.  Lamkin 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


139 


girls:  Misses  C.  Augusta  Lamkin,  Julia  Wallace,  Ida  Wallace,  Ida 
Matthews,  Sissie  Johnson,  Sissie  Bishop,  Nannie  Quin,  Alice  Bickham, 
Mollie  Bickham,  Flora  Bonney,  Rachel  McClendon  and  Mollie  Barr. 

The  4th  of  July,  i860,  an  occasion  always  celebrated  by  the  people 
with  barbecues,  public  speeches  and  other  patriotic  demonstrations, 
was  the  occasion  selected  to  make  the  presentation  of  the  banner  to 
the  Quitman  Guards. 

Colonel  Eshelman,  of  the  Washington  Artillery  of  New  Orleans, 
was  delegated  to  superintend  the  making  of  the  banner.  The  flag 
was  made  of  heavy  white  silk,  double  fold,  with  gold  fringe  borders 
and  a representation  of  a large  American  eagle  interwoven  in  the  center 
presenting  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  United  States.  On  one  side  it 
bore  the  inscription: 

“PRESENTED  TO  THE  QUITMAN  GUARDS 
BY 

THE  LADIES  OF  PIKE  COUNTY’’ 

On  the  everse  side: 

“OUR  COUNTRY  AND  OUR  HOMES” 

The  price  paid  for  it  was  $250,  which  amount  was  contributed  in 
small  sums  ranging  from  50  cents  to  $5. 

It  was  received  at  Holmesville  by  Samuel  A.  Matthews,  a resident 
of  the  town  who  had  been  selected  as  its  custodian. 

A public  meeting  was  held  in  the  Baptist  Church  by  the  ladies 
for  the  purpose  of  selecting  one  of  their  number,  with  two  assistants, 
to  present  the  banner  to  the  Quitman  Guards  on  the  4th  of  July, 
i860,  the  day  of  the  celebration  of  American  Independence.  Two 
names  were  presented  for  the  honor:  Miss  Rachel  E.  Coney  and  Miss 
Mary  Ann  Conerly,  but  the  latter,  on  account  of  the  recent  death  of 
her  father,  Owen  Conerly,  declined;  and  Miss  Coney  was  selected, 
and  she  appointed  as  maids  of  honor  Misses  Emma  Ellzey  and  Fanny 
Wicker. 

All  the  necessary  preparations  having  been  made,  when  the  day 
arrived  this  event  and  the  great  barbecue,  and  an  oration  to  be  deliv- 


140 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


ered  by  Hugh  Eugene  Weathersby,  a brilliant  young  lawyer  and 
Representative  of  the  State  Legislature,  brought  to  the  town  of 
Holmesville  one  of  the  largest  gatherings  of  people  that  ever  assem- 
bled there. 

A platform  was  erected  on  the  public  square  in  front  of  the  resi- 
dence of  Dr.  George  Nicholson,  near  the  courthouse,  by  Samuel  A. 
Matthews  and  Chauncey  P.  Conerly,  as  committee  appointed  by  the 
Quitman  Guards. 

Benton  Bickham,  one  of  the  handsomest  young  men  of  the  town 
and  of  the  Quitman  Guards,  was  selected  as  the  standard  bearer  of 
the  company. 

Thomas  R.  Stockdale  was  selected  as  attendant  to  the  young 
ladies  in  the  ceremony  of  introduction.  When  the  time  arrived 
Benton  Bickham,  meeting  the  girls  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Matthews, 
and  bearing  the  banner,  escorted  them  to  the  platform. 

The  Quitman  Guards,  clothed  in  their  full  uniform,  with  their 
burnished  muskets,  were  drawn  up  in  line  in  front  and  facing  the  plat- 
form when  the  ceremonies  of  the  presentation  were  commenced,  by 
the  following  address,  delivered  by  Miss  Fanny  Wicker,  who  was 
introduced  by  Thomas  R.  Stockdale: 

“Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  We  have  assembled  here  to-day  to  evince  in 

some  degree  the  high  esteem  in  which  we  hold  and  the  great  admiration  with 
which  we  regard  those  who  are  willing  to  undergo  the  severe  labor  of  military 
discipline  for  their  country’s  good — those  who,  in  the  hour  of  peril,  are  the 
maintainers  of  her  rights,  the  protectors  of  our  firesides  and  our  homes. 

“To  you,  gentlemen  of  the  Quitman  Guards,  the  ladies  of  Pike  County 
this  day  address  themselves,  with  a token  of  their  appreciation  of  your  gener- 
ous chivalry,  in  thus  taking  upon  yourselves  the  armor  of  your  country:  for 
it  is  a badge  of  honor  which  they  are  proud  to  recognize.  They  have  selected 
this,  the  most  glorious  day  in  all  the  calendar  of  time,  that  its  sacred  memories 
may  throw  around  the  scene  a deeper  and  more  lively  interest.  For,  upon  this 
day,  every  patriot’s  heart  must  swell  with  emotions  of  thanksgiving  for  the 
inestimable  blessings  which  American  independence  has  showered  upon  this, 
the  happiest  of  all  lands.  The  ladies  of  Pike  County  have  deemed  this  national 
emblem,  around  which  clusters  the  memory  of  so  many  glorious  deeds,  the 
most  appropriate  expression  of  their  confidence  in  the  valor  of  our  citizen  sol- 
diery 

“Permit  me  now  to  introduce  Miss  Coney,  who  in  their  behalf,  bears  this 
flag.” 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


141 


MISS  RACHEL  E.  CONEY’S  ADDRESS. 

“Soldiers  of  the  Quitman  Guards:  In  behalf  of  the  ladies  of  Pike  County, 

we  are  happy  to  greet  you  in  the  noblest  attitude  that  freemen  can  occupy — 
soldiers  of  their  native  land.  For  love  of  country,  that  of  great  instinct  of  the 
soul,  that  pervades  every  clime  and  nation,  and  which  prompts  alike  ‘the  shud- 
dering tenant  of  the  frozen  zone’  and  the  swarthy  inhabitant  of  the  tropics,  to 
deem  his  own  the  pride  of  every  land,  is  a principle  which,  indeed,  ennobles 
humanity.  But  without  that  noble  spirit  which  prompts  him  to  step  between 
danger  and  his  country — a patriotism  of  an  ignoble  cast — and  the  difference 
between  him  and  a soldier  is  the  difference  between  a slave  and  a freeman. 
There  is  no  nobler  principle  of  the  soul  than  patriotism,  so  full  and  free  that  it 
embraces  one’s  whole  country — but  when  we  search  for  its  origin,  one  finds  that 
its  vitality  emanates  from  a single  spot,  the  dearest  in  his  native  land — the  spot 
to  which  the  warrior’s  heart  ever  turns,  whether  marching  on  the  plains  of  the 
far  off  land  or  riding  upon  the  ocean’s  wave, 

“In  every  clime  the  magnet  of  the  soul, 

“Touched  by  remembrance,  trembles  to  the  pole. 

“Speaking  for  our  sex,  it  is  the  nucleus  around  which  clusters  all  our  hopes, 
and  the  fount  from  which  emanate  all  our  joys — the  place  whose  atmosphere 
floats  so  brightly  around  us  that  even  life’s  sorrows  fail  to  darken  its  halo — 
the  halo  of  our  homes. 

“He  was  a patriot  who  wrote,  and  surely  there  is  music  in  the  soul  of  him 
who  sung: 

‘ ’Mid  pleasures  and  palaces  tho’  we  may  roam, 

Be  it  ever  so  humble,  there’s  no  place  like  home.’ 

“And  you  will  allow  us  to  add,  there  is  no  place  like  America  for  a home 
and  our  country  is  dear  because  it  protects  our  home.  Thus  it  is  not  strange 
that  we  should  regard  with  jealous  eye  what  is  light  or  darkness,  and  more  than 
life  or  death  to  us;  and  that  we  should  greet,  with  grateful  hearts,  those  who 
would  intervene  a shield  between  our  country  and  danger,  however  remote. 
For  well  do  we  know,  and  it  would  be  ungrateful  not  to  acknowledge  it,  that  on 
all  the  green  earth,  there  is  no  country  in  which  woman  occupies  so  truly  an 
exalted  position  as  in  the  land  of  the  gallant  and  brave.  With  great  deference 
to  the  opinions  of  those  who  deem  all  military  displays  useless  demonstrations 
in  times  of  peace,  we  would  say  there  is  no  ray  of  light  shines  into  the  future 
except  as  it  is  reflected  by  the  past;  and  we  see  all  along  the  world’s  history 
startling  examples  which  press  upon  every  great  and  prosperous  nation  the 
necessity  of  well  armed  soldiery. 

“When  the  proud  Anglo-Saxon  stepped,  as  from  the  ocean,  upon  the  shores 
of  this  untamed  land,  and  the  wilderness  had  fled  from  before  his  face,  and  the 
mountains  looked  proudly  down  upon  the  valleys  where  civilization  loomed  up 
in  peaceful  glory,  then  did  Oriental  misrule  reach  forth  to  enslave  his  fair 


142 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


daughter  of  the  Land  of  ‘the  Setting  Sun.’  But  in  that  hour  of  peril,  she  called 
to  her  citizen  soldiery,  and  brave  hearts  responded  from  hills  and  valleys,  who 
stayed  the  giant  arm  and  loosened  the  iron  grasp  of  the  oppressor.  Once, 
since  then,  has  her  liberty  been  maintained,  and  once  her  honor  defended  by 
the  same  mighty  power. 

“And  now,  although  peace  has  long  spread  her  white  wings  over  the  land, 
and  the  clouds  have  continued  to  drop  their  bounty  down  into  the  lap  of  the 
earth,  and  prosperity  has  taken  her  abode  here,  there  may  be  a cloud  in  the 
horizon  ‘of  the  size  of  a man’s  hand’  which  may  yet  gather  and  darken  the 
whole  heavens,  and,  looking  down  with  wrathful  brow,  threaten  terrible  de- 
struction. And  as  the  miser  looks  kindly  upon  the  strong  bars  that  secure  his 
cherished  treasures,  we  rejoice  to  see  between  our  homes  and  the  storm  a bat- 
tlement which  no  flood,  has  ever  borne  down. 

“We  present  you  this  flag  as  a memento  of  our  appreciation  of  your  gal- 
lantry in  enlisting  in  the  service  of  the  greatest  country  the  earth  has  ever 
turned  to  the  sun.  We  have  inscribed  among  the  stars  the  motto  nearest  our 
hearts,  in  token  of  our  confidence  in  the  brave  spirits  who  shall  unfurl  it  to  the 
breeze. 

“In  memory  of  the  land  we  love  above  all  others,  we  have  placed  upon  it 
the  insignia  of  our  native  State,  whose  colors  have  been  borne  always  in  tri- 
umph on  many  a fearful  field,  through  many  a fierce  struggle,  by  the  gallant  old 
man  whose  honored  name  you  bear. 

“We  present  you  this  flag  upon  its  own  birthday,  with  no  desire  to  encour- 
age a spirit  of  aggressive  warfare,  or  to-kindle  within  your  breasts  the  fires  of 
ambition,  for  every  true  woman’s  heart  revolts  at  the  thought  of  a catalogue 
of  the  slain,  which  might  bear  the  name  of  her  dearest  friend;  but  if  such  a 
dire  calamity  should  come,  which  may  the  God  of  nations  avert,  that  the  land 
of  our  birth  should  be  disgraced,  our  country  dishonored  or  our  homes  invaded, 
whether  it  be  threatened  by  an  alien  enemy  or  a fratricidal  hand,  we  ask  you 
to  take  this  flag  and  beat  back  the  foe. 

“The  history  of  the  past  warrants  the  assertion  that  no  true  American, 
and  we  are  sure  that  no  brave  son  of  the  gallant  State  of  Mississippi,  where  we 
are  proud  to  claim  our  homes,  would  purchase  ease  or  escape  danger  at  the 
cost  of  independence;  and  every  woman  of  noble  soul,  though  sad  the  thought, 
would  deem  it  a dearer  joy,  whether  he  be  father,  brother  or  lover,  to  spend 
a life  of  solitude  in  strewing  flowers  upon  a hero’s  grave  than  in  peace  to  share 
a vassal’s  home. 

“To  you  we  commit  our  country  and  our  homes,  with  the  confident  hope 
that  upon  each  Independence  Day,  for  generations  to  come,  brave  soldiers  will 
tread  the  soil  of  America  to  the  sound  of  martial  music.” 

At  the  conclusion  of  Miss  Coney’s  address  she  presented  the  banner, 
which  was  received  by  H.  E.  Weathersby,  on  the  part  of  the  Quitman 
Guards  in  a few  well-chosen  remarks,  in  which  he  stated  that  “where 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


143 


duty  calls  the  Quitman  Guards  will  go;”  and  thus  the  young  ladies 
were  considered  as  adopted  members  of  that  company. 

At  the  conclusion  of  these  ceremonies  the  people  repaired  to  the 
beech  grove  at  the  foot  of  the  bridge  over  the  Bogue  Chitto  River, 
where  the  barbecue  Was  held  and  where  Eugene  Weathersby  delivered 
the  oration  of  the  occasion;  Colonel  Eshelman  and  others  of  the 
Washington  Artillery  being  present,  specially  invited  guests  of  the 
occasion. 

Political  excitement  and  sectional  feeling  between  the  Northern 
and  Southern  States  had  become  greatly  intensified  by  questions  per- 
taining to  the  new  territory  acquired  from  France  by  purchase  from 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  the  admission  of  Texas  and  other  new  States,  the 
right  of  property  in  slaves,  the  extension  of  slavery  in  the  new  terri- 
tory and  the  sovereignty  of  States.  The  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  recognized  the  right  of  property  in  slaves  and  threw  around  it 
its  protecting  arm  and  upheld  it  by  decisions  of  its  highest  tribunals, 
and  the  owners  claimed  the  right  to  remove  to  any  of  the  public 
domain  with  this  species  of  property.  This  privilege  was  contested 
by  those  at  the  North  who  were  opposed  to  allowing  any  owner  of 
slaves  to  enter  the  new  territory.  A noted  suit  was  instituted  in  Mis- 
souri as  a test  case,  known  as  the  Dred  Scott  case,  to  determine  the 
question  whether  a negro  slave  taken  into  territory  claimed  by  aboli- 
tionists to  be  non-slavery  territory,  by  his  owner,  should  remain  a 
slave  or  be  liberated.  Dred  Scott  was  taken  into  this  disputed  terri- 
tory by  his  owner,  an  army  officer,  who  died  leaving  him  in  the  terri- 
tory, and  the  question  was  sprung  as  to  what  disposition  should  be 
made  of  him.  None  of  his  owner’s  heirs  wanted  him,  yet  he  was 
properiy,  and  the  courts  were  resorted  to.  It  was  greedily  seized 
upon  by  abolition  political  agitators  at  the  North  and  a great  effort 
made  to  secure  a verdict  against  the  slave  owners  of  the  South,  but 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  held  that  the  removal  of  the 
slave  with  his  owner  into  non-slave  holding  territory  did  not  change 
the  status  of  the  slave  as  property  and  decreed  that  he  be  delivered  to 
the  nearest  heir  at  law  of  the  deceased  owner.  This  was  done,  and 
the  negro  was  liberated  or  emancipated  by  the  owner.  This  judgment 


144 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


of  the  highest  tribunal  of  the  United  States  Government  created  an 
intense  furore  throughout  the  North  among  the  abolitionists.  There 
had  been  many  years  of  wrangling  over  this  question  which  brought 
about  the  extension  of  Mason’s  and  Dixon’s  line,  and  for  forty 
years  the  country  was  more  or  less  agitated  over  matters  pertaining 
to  the  rights  of  the  States.  The  Southern  States  as  such  were  not  respon- 
sible for  the  institution  of  slavery  nor  its  establishment  within  their 
borders  When  Virginia  was  a colony  under  Great  Britain,  in  1620, 
the  first  load  of  negro  slaves  were  landed  at  Jamestown  from  a Dutch 
vessel.  It  was  fostered  and  nursed  by  the  English  crown  up  to  1807 
and  by  people  in  the  Eastern  States.  New  England  men,  New  England 
money,  New  England  vessels,  New  England  inhumanity,  in  coalition 
with  the  English  crown  and  Dutch  navigators,  are  the  parents  of  the 
trade  in  slavery  and  its  establishment  in  this  country,  and  Massachu- 
setts the  first  slave  State.  It  proved  unprofitable  to  the  North  on 
account  of  the  long  winters,  but  profitable  to  the  South  under  good 
management,  and  after  the  slave  trade  was  forbidden  by  act  of  Par- 
liament in  1807,  and  the  Southern  States  passed  laws  forbidding  any 
further  importation  of  slaves  from  foreign  countries,  and  it  ceased  to 
be  a source  of  wealth  to  the  avaricious  Yankee,  then  schemes  were 
concocted  to  bring  about  its  abolition  in  the  South  by  those  who  were 
jealous  of  Southern  prosperity. 

Long  before  the  admission  of  Mississippi  as  a Territory  the  South 
was  so  apprehensive  of  future  troubles  growing  out  of  the  accumula- 
tion of  negroes  that  they  passed  laws  prohibiting  the  landing  of  Afri- 
can negroes  on  their  shores  and  the  organic  act  creating  the  Territory 
of  Mississippi  forbade  it ; but  the  slave  speculators  and  kidnappers  of 
New  England  with  hundreds  of  vessels  continued  to  ply  their  avoca- 
tion and  smuggled  them  through  from  the  North  and  unfrequented 
lakes  and  rivers  unguarded  by  government  and  where  communication 
to  legal  authority  was  difficult.  Virginia  put  a stop  to  it  as  soon  as 
it  was  in  her  power  to  do  so,  and  it  was  one  of  the  express  stipulations 
constituting  Oglethorpe’s  charter  for  the  establishment  of  his  Mo- 
ravian Colony  in  Georgia.  Any  attempts  of  Northern  haters  of  the 
South  to  fix  the  blame  of  the  institution  on  the  people  of  the  South, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


145 


or  their  secession  from  the  Union  for  the  purpose  of  perpetuating  it, 
is  disproved  by  all  the  facts  connected  with  its  history. 

General  William  Cain  had  been  appointed  general  of  the  militia 
organizations  of  South  Mississippi  counties,  and  in  i860  he  ordered  a 
review  to  take  place  in  the  town  of  Magnolia.  The  Quitman  Guards 
were  ordered  out  and  responded,  the  whole  company  going  to  Mag- 
nolia, clothed  in  their  military  uniforms,  to  participate  in  the  grand 
review.  General  Cain  was  handsomely  uniformed  and  mounted  on  a 
splendid  iron-gray  charger,  accompanied  by  a numerous  staff  of  ele- 
gantly uniformed  officers.  It  was  a gala  day  in  Magnolia,  but  the 
Quitman  Guards  had  possession,  from  a military  point  of  view,  of 
the  entire  field,  under  direction  of  the  commanding  general.  No 
other  troops  presented  themselves  for  review,  and  the  history  of  the 
occasion  becomes  deficient  by  the  absence  of  the  mass  of  South  Missis- 
sippi forces.  Nevertheless  this  was  a historical  occasion.  It  was  a 
niche  in  events  to  follow.  It  was  duty  performed. 

The  year  i860  was  a stormy  period  in  the  political  history  of  the 
country.  The  Southern  States  clung  tenaciously  to  the  constitution 
and  combatted  every  infringement  of  its  provisions  assailed  by  its 
enemies.  So  many  things  had  been  done  and  threatened  that  endan- 
gered their  peace  and  happiness  that  they  were  seriously  considering 
the  question  of  a dissolution  of  the  Union,  by  passing  ordinances  of 
secession,  and  forming  a separate  government,  with  which  there  could 
be  some  unity  of  feeling,  friendship  and  mutual  benefits.  The  stu- 
dent of  political  history  must  turn  to  other  works  to  learn  all  the 
causes  which  plunged  the  country  into  a great  fratricidal  conflict  after 
this  time.  Pike  County  is  only  a drop  in  the  bucket  hat  overflowed, 
a grain  of  sand  on  the  shore  lashed  by  the  sea  of  human  blood. 

On  May  16,  i860,  a Republican  convention,  a purely  sectional 
body  of  men,  was  held  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  111.,  for  the  purpose  of 
nominating  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States.  This  party  at  the  time  was  commonly  known  as  the  “Black 
Abolition  Party,”  and  was  composed  of  delegates  of  the  abolition  faith. 
Not  a single  Southern  State  was  represented  in  it.  At  this  convention 


10 


146 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Abraham  Lincoln,  a lawyer  and  politician,  was  nominated  for  Presi- 
dent, and  Mr.  Hamlin  of  Maine  was  nominated  for  Vice-President. 

Abraham  Lincoln  had  proclaimed  that  the  Union  “could  not 
permanently  endure  half  slave  and  half  free.”  This  of  itself  was  a 
declaration  on  his  part,  endorsed  by  this  purely  sectional  convention, 
that  the  institution  of  slavery  was  to  be  attacked  and  should  be 
abolished  if  possible.  A society  of  abolitionists  had  been  formed  in 
England  long  before  the  abolition  of  slavery  and  the  slave  trade  by 
the  English  Parliament,  and  another  one  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia 
in  the  early  thirties. 

At  the  convention  of  Democrats,  which  met  in  Charleston,  S.  C., 
there  was  a division  which  resulted  in  the  nomination  of  two  sets  of 
candidates.  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  of  Illinois,  being  selected  for  Presi- 
dent, and  Herschel  V.  Johnson,  of  Georgia,  for  Vice-President,  by  one 
faction,  and  John  C.  Breckenridge,  of  Kentucky,  for  President,  and 
Joseph  Lane,  of  Oregon,  for  Vive-President,  by  the  other  faction. 

Another  convention  assembled  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  and 
nominated  John  Bell,  of  Tennessee,  for  President,  and  Edward  Everett, 
of  Massachusetts,  for  Vice-President. 

Thus  there  were  four  tickets  in  the  field.  At  the  election  in  Novem- 
ber following,  there  were  4,676,853  votes  polled.  Of  this  number 
Lincoln  and  Hamlin  received  1,866,352,  and  of  the  303  votes  cast  in 
the  electoral  college  they  received  180  and  were  declared  elected.  It 
was  clearly  sectional  in  its  results.  Lincoln  and  Hamlin  received  a 
little  over  one-third  of  the  popular  votes  and  over  one-half  of  the 
electoral  vote.  Their  party  leaders  had  declared  against  the  institu- 
tion of  slavery  and  that  it  could  not  exist  “only  by  virtue  of  munici- 
pal law,”  “no  law  for  it  in  the  territories.”  This  was  an  open  declara- 
tion of  lynching  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  and  setting  aside 
the  decision  of  its  Supreme  Court.  The  South  saw  its  perils.  Her 
institutions  had  been  assailed  and  her  constitutional  rights  tramped 
upon  for  forty  years,  and  her  people  thought  it  was  time  to  seek  relief 
by  separation. 

After  the  announcement  of  the  election  of  Lincoln  and  Hamlin, 
South  Carolina,  acting  in  her  sovereign  capacity  as  a State,  in  Decern- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


147 


ber,  i860,  passed  the  ordinance  of  secession,  severing  her  relations 
with  the  general  government.  Mississippi  followed  on  the  9th  of 
January,  1861,  Dr.  James  M.  Nelson,  of  Holmesville,  being  the 
delegate  from  Pike  County. 

The  convention  which  passed  the  ordinance  of  secession  adopted 
the  Bonnie  Blue  Flag  as  the  State  flag.  The  main  field  of  which  was 
white  with  a red  fringe  around  its  borders  and  a square  blue  field 
occupying  about  one-fourth  of  the  flag  in  the  upper  comer  attached 
to  the  staff.  In  this  blue  field  a single  white  star.  In  the  white  field 
of  the  flag  was  the  imprint  of  a green  tree.  The  adoption  of  this  flag 
inspired  the  writing  of  the  song  of  the  “Bonnie  Blue  Flag”  by  Harry 
McCarthy. 


SONG  OF  THE  BONNIE  BLUE  FLAG. 

BY  HARRY  M’CARTHY. 

We  are  a band  of  brothers,  and  native  to  the  soil, 

Fighting  for  our  liberty,  with  treasure  blood  and  toil; 

And  when  our  rights  were  threatened,  the  cry  rose  near  and  far, 
Hurrah  for  the  Bonny  Blue  Flag  that  bears  a single  star! 

CHORUS. 

Hurrah!  Hurrah!  for  Southern  rights,  Hurrah! 

Hurrah  for  the  Bonny  Blue  Flag  that  bears  a single  star. 

First,  gallant  South  Carolina  nobly  made  the  stand; 

Then  came  Alabama,,  who  took  her  by  the  hand; 

Next,  quickly,  Mississippi,  Georgia  and  Florida, 

All  raised  on  high  the  Bonny  Blue  Flag  that  bears  the  single  star. 

Ye  men  of  valor,  gather  round  the  banner  of  the  Right, 

Texas  and  fair  Louisiana,  join  us  in  the  fight! 

Davis,  our  loved  President,  and  Stephens,  statesman  rare, 

Now  rally  round  the  Bonny  Blue  Flag  that  bears  the  single  star! 

And  here’s  to  brave  Virginia,  the  Old  Dominion  State, 

With  the  young  Confederacy  at  length  has  linked  her  fate, 

Impelled  by  her  example,  now  other  States  prepare 

To  hoist  on  high  the  Bonny  Blue  Flag  that  bears  a single  star! 


148 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


THE  SECESSION  CONVENTION. 

In  the  Mississippi  Official  and  Statistical  Register  of  1904,  compiled 
and  edited  by  Dunbar  Rowland,  Director  Department  of  Archives 
and  History,  the  following  account  of  the  Secession  Convention  is 
given: 

“It  was  a notable  assemblage  that  met  in  the  Hall  of  Representatives  on 
the  morning  of  January  7,  1861,  and  one  girt  for  action.  The  time  for  argu- 
ment, concession,  compromise  had  passed.  The  supreme  act  remained  to  be 
done.  The  convention  set  about  its  business  in  a spirit  of  seriousness,  as  aware 
of  the  tremendous  responsibility  pressing  upon  it,  but  with  an  unfaltering 
look  toward  the  one  fixed  goal.  The  one  hundred  delegates,  representing  the 
flower  of  the  State,  soon  organized  themselves  in  a business-like  manner  by  the 
selection  of  W.  S.  Barry  of  Lowndes  to  preside.  A committee  of  fifteen  was 
speedily  appointed  to  draft  an  ordinance  of  secession.  Mr.  Lamar  was  chair- 
man. The  overwhelming  sentiment  of  the  convention  in  favor  of  immediate 
secession,  as  opposed  to  any  form  of  ‘co-operation  with  other  States,’  had 
already  declared  itself  unmistakably. 

“On  the  third  day  of  the  committee’s  deliberations  the  ordinance  was 
reported  by  Mr.  Lamar  as  chairman.  The  man  who,  later  in  life,  was  to  reach 
out  across  the  chasm  between  the  North  and  South  was  the  central  figure  in 
the  drama  of  secession.  Efforts  to  retard  its  passage  or  change  its  complexion 
were  in  vain.  The  roll  call  on  the  main  question  began  amid  a breathless 
silence.  The  name  of  J.  L.  Alcorn,  an  ardent  co-operationist,  was  first  called. 
‘The  Rubicon  is  crossed,’  he  said,  ‘I  follow  the  army  that  leads  to  Rome.’  Oth- 
ers yielded  to  the  dominant  sentiment,  and  the  ordinance  passed  by  a vote  of 
84  to  15. 

“The  President  announced  the  vote  amid  a solemnity  that  had  something 
religious  in  it.  Moved  by  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  he  asked  a minister  to 
invoke  God’s  blessing  on  what  had  been  done.  The  immense  audience  stood 
while  he  complied.  Nor  Cromwell’s  pikemen  on  the  eve  of  battle  felt  their 
dependence  on  the  will  of  Providence  more  than  they.  The  prayer  concluded, 
a dramatic  incident  came  to  relieve  the  tension.  A gentleman  entered  the  hall 
bearing  a blue  silk  flag,  in  the  center  of  which  glittered  a single  white  star. 
It  had  been  made  overnight  by  a Jackson  lady,  in  anticipation  of  the  action 
of  the  convention.  He  handed  it  to  the  President,  who  paused  a moment  and 
then  waved  it  aloft  with  the  exclamation  that  it  was  the  first  flag  of  the  young 
republic.  The  audience  broke  into  applause,  rising  to  salute  the  emblem. 
Without  were  heard  the  salvos  of  artillery  that  greeted  the  new  republic.  The 
next  night,  it  may  be  worth  remarking,  ‘The  Bonny  Blue  Flag’  was  sung  in  a 
local  theater.  It  had  been  composed  by  Harry  McCarthy,  a comedian,  imme- 
diately after  witnessing  the  scene  in  the  capitol. 

“The  convention  knew  its  act  meant  war.  Preparations  were  made  for 
the  conflict.  Jefferson  Davis  was  elected  Major  General  of  the  State  troops, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


149 


and  four  Brigadier-Generals  were  chosen.  Delegates  to  the  Convention  of  the 
Southern  States  at  Montgomery  were  also  elected.  The  ‘swelling  prologue’ 
to  the  theme  of  the  Civil  War  was  over  as  far  as  Mississippi  was  concerned. 

The  decision  of  the  United  Supreme  Court  in  the  Dred  Scott  case, 
fixing  the  status  of  the  negro  race,  giving  the  owners  of  slaves  the  right 
to  settle  with  them  in  the  territories,  was  disregarded  by  abolition 
agitators.  The  substance  of  this  decision  was  that  the  African  slaves 
were  not  and  could  not  be  acknowledged  as  “part  of  the  people,”  or 
citizens  under  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  that  Con- 
gress had  no  right  to  exclude  citizens  of  the  South  from  taking  their 
negro  servants  as  any  other  property  into  any  part  of  the  country. 

Continued  interference,  the  instigation  of  negro  insurrection,  the 
invasion  of  John  Brown  in  Virginia  to  free  the  negroes,  and  the  scat- 
tering of  emissaries  over  sections  of  the  South,  coupled  with  past 
aggressions  on  Southern  rights  and  efforts  to  deprive  her  of  equality 
in  the  Union  by  discrimination  in  legislation,  and  denying  them  the 
right  to  settle  with  their  slaves  in  the  common  territory  in  face  of 
this  decision  of  the  highest  tribunal  of  the  land,  created  a deep  feeling 
of  insecurity  and  further  inflamed  the  passions  of  the  people.  It  was 
evident  to  the  minds  of  Southern  people  that  it  was  the  policy  of  the 
abolitionists  to  irritate  the  South  to  the  commission  of  an  act  to  get 
an  excuse  to  invade  the  country  with  the  ultimate  object  of  the 
abolition  of  slavery  and  the  Africanization  of  the  Southern  States. 

Pike  County  was  not  without  its  share  of  these  sneaking  abolition 
emissaries,  going  from  plantation  to  plantation,  secretly  among  the 
negroes,  endeavoring  to  incite  them  to  insurrection  against  their 
masters  and  families.  This  writer  knows  whereof  he  speaks  on  this 
matter  in  so  far  as  Pike  County  was  concerned.  There  was  no  more 
cruel  and  murderous  intent  perpretrated  on  a people  than  that  at- 
tempted by  Northern  emissaries  here  in  i860;  and  it  became  neces- 
sary for  the  manhood  of  the  South  to  be  on  the  alert.  On  his  father’s 
estate  on  Topisaw  the  writer  caught  one  of  these  scoundrels  among 
the  negroes  trying  to  persuade  them  to  rise  and  massacre  his  widowed 
mother  and  her  children,  which  they  refused  to  consider;  and  the 
same  villian  attempted  the  same  thing  on  the  plantations  of  Judge 


150 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


James  B.  Quin,  Hardy  Thompson,  Christian  Hoover  and  others. 
This  is  localizing  evidence  and  facts  in  a small  radius.  Put  it  thus 
over  the  entire  South,  where  there  were  four  millions  of  negro  slaves, 
equal  in  number  to  the  whites,  what  was  there  under  these  circum- 
stances for  the  Southern  people  to  expect?  With  twenty  millions  of 
white  people  in  the  Northern  States,  turned  to  be  their  enemies,  send- 
ing their  murderous  emissaries  among  these  four  million  slaves  to 
incite  them  to  massacre  the  four  millions  of  whites  in  the  South,  thus 
placing  the  four  million  Southern  whites  at  the  mercy  of  the  twenty 
million  Northern  whites  and  the  four  million  negroes  in  their  midst, 
what  can  be  said  against  the  South  seceding  and  Southern  manhood 
asserting  itself  for  its  own  preservation?  What  constituted  a greater 
incentive  to  manly  and  heroic  effort  to  beat  back  the  foe? 

The  Southern  people  were  true  Americans,  and  were  not  moulded 
from  that  class  of  the  human  race  to  stand  idle  and  inactive  while  an 
insolent  foe  marched  in  among  them  to  cut  their  throats  or  rob  them 
of  all  the  rights  of  freemen  under  a government  which  their  fathers 
had  given  their  best  blood  and  brains  to  establish. 

In  1859  H.  E.  Weathersby,  the  brilliant  young  lawyer  previously 
mentioned,  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature,  and  J.  B.  Crisman  was 
elected  to  represent  the  counties  of  Pike  and  Laurence  in  the  State 
Senate.  They  were  gentlemen  eminently  qualified  for  these  responsible 
positions.  They  were  both  men  of  ability  and  reflected  honor  upon 
the  constituency  they  represented  in  these  days  of  political  commotion. 

H.  Eugene  Weathersby  was  a young  man  born  and  raised  in  Amite 
County,  and  was  educated  at  Centenary  College  in  Louisiana.  He 
was  one  of  the  class  with  Judge  Thomas  C.  W.  Ellis,  of  the  Civil  Dis- 
trict Court  of  New  Orleans,  and  a bosom  friend.  He  was  tall, 
handsome,  talented,  chivalrous  and  brave;  and  he  had  entered  the 
practice  of  law  in  Holmesville  at  a period  of  life  when  noble  aspira- 
tions fill  the  soul,  and  a laudable  ambition  urges  one  to  seek  the  highest 
place  among  men;  and  it  was  at  a time  when  trained  and  brilliant 
lawyers,  in  the  floodtide  of  success,  occupied  the  bar  in  South  Missis- 
sippi, many  of  whose  names  have  already  been  mentioned  in  these 
pages,  and  whose  fame  will  go  down  to  the  ages.  He  became  a part- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


151 


ner  with  Hugh  Murray  Quin,  a native  of  Pike  County,  and  Thomas  R. 
Stockdale,  recently  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  in  the  practice  of 
law,  and  was  the  chosen  orator  of  the  day  at  the  4th  of  July  celebra- 
tion in  i860,  the  occasion  of  the  presentation  of  the  banner  to  the 
Quitman  Guards.  It  was  fitting  that  this  should  be  the  greatest 
celebration  in  Pike  County,  and  it  was  fitting  too  that  the  gallant, 
the  good,  the  chivalrous  Weathersby  should  occupy  such  a conspicu- 
ous place  in  connection  with  the  event,  as  it  was  the  last  for  many  years 
to  come,  and  the  young  man  who  stood  there  the  object  of  so  much 
admiration,  with  his  hands  raised  to  high  heaven,  prophetically  deplor- 
ing the  signs  of  the  coming  storm,  became  a sacrifice  upon  the  altar 
of  a principle  he  loved  so  well. 

At  the  fall  election  in  i860  Robert  Bacot  was  succeeded  by  the 
election  of  Louis  C.  Bickham  as  sheriff. 

Louis  Bickham  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Bickham,  of  Louisiana. 
His  mother,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bickham,  becoming  a widow  by  the  death 
of  her  husband,  became  a resident  of  Holmesville  and  a conspicuous 
factor  in  its  higher  social  life.  She  was  a woman  of  queenly  bearing, 
tender-hearted  and  kind,  and  delighted  in  the  entertainment  and 
happiness  of  young  people.  Her  children,  like  herself,  were  all  hand- 
some and  proud. 

Louis  C.  Bickham  married  Margaret,  one  of  the  beautiful  twin 
daughters  of  B.  B.  Lindsey,  the  noted  millwright  and  mechanic. 
Her  twin  sister  was  named  Jennie,  whose  first  husband’s  name  was 
McClendon.  They  were  so  nearly  alike  that  even  intimate  friends 
were  sometimes  puzzled  to  tell  which  was  Margaret  or  which  was 
Jennie,  when  met  separately.  Louis  Bickham’s  grandfather  was 
Maj.  Benjamin  Bickham,  who  emigrated  from  South  Carolina  in 
1811,  in  company  with  Benjamin  Youngblood,  the  father  of  Joseph 
Youngblood,  and  John  Brumfield,  the  father  of  Jesse  and  Isaac 
Brumfield,  and  settled  in  Washington  Parish,  Louisiana. 

Louis  Bickham  was  a man  of  delicate  mould,  handsome  and  friendly, 
but  he  was  brave  and  fearless  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  sheriff. 

Among  the  original  settlers  of  Summit  and  business  men  were 
William  H.  Garland,  one  of  the  original  promoters  of  the  building  of 


152 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & Great  Northern  Railroad,  as  previously 
mentioned  in  the  organization  of  that  great  enterprise. 

Louis  Alcus  and  Isaac  Lichenstein  became  merchants  there,  also 
Hatch  Hiller,  James  and  Clint  Atkinson,  J.  B.  Wilson  and  John  Cotton, 
J.  D.  Jacobowsky  and  Jake  Hart,  Sol.  Hyman,  Henry  Lotterhos, 
John  W.  Huffman,  dentist;  Lemuel  J.  Quin,  Ed.  Mogan,  I.  Moiese, 
Henry  Lotterhos,  D.  C.  Packer,  John  D.  Farnham,  Algenon  Sidney 
Mitchell,  Isaac  C.  Dick,  William  McNulty,  Sam  Hyman,  Louis  and 
Isaac  Scherck,  Ben  Hilbum,  Rene  H.  Brunette,  the  Cunninghams, 
Boyds  and  Godbolts  and  James  H.  Wingfield. 

Rene  H.  Brunette,  previously  mentioned  as  one  of  the  original 
settlers  of  the  town  of  Summit  in  1856,  was  from  the  city  of  New 
Orleans,  La.  His  wife  was  Susan  Jane  Thompson.  They  had  four 
sons,  Rene  H.,  Jr.,  William  M.,  Birkett  Thompson  and  Frank. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  War  Rene,  Jr.,  and  William 
joined  Charlie  Drew’s  battalion  of  infantry,  made  up  of  some  of  the 
best  young  men  of  the  city  of  New  Orleans,  which  was  immediately 
sent  to  Richmond,  Va.,  with  other  forces  to  meet  the  invasion  of  the 
peninsula.  They  became  engaged  in  a skirmish  fight  with  the  enemy 
near  Newport  News,  July  5,  1861,  at  which  time  Charlie  Drew  was 
killed  and  it  became  a noted  historical  fact  that  he  was  the  first  field 
officer  on  the  Confederate  side  to  become  a martyr  to  the  cause  of 
Southern  independence. 

In  accordance  with  the  terms  of  their  enlistment  the  battalion 
was  disbanded  and  the  men  given  their  discharge  at  Yorktown,  in 
1862,  and  Fenner’s  battery  was  formed  from  members  of  the  battalion, 
and  the  two  Brunette  brothers  from  Summit  became  members  of 
it  when  it  was  organized  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  under  orders,  in  May, 
1862.  William  Brunette  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  New  Hope,  Ga., 
May  24,  1864.  Frank  was  too  young  to  become  an  active  soldier 
during  the  war.  The  family  returned  to  New  Orleans  in  1866,  where 
they  engaged  in  merchandising.  The  elder  son,  Rene  H.,  Jr.,  at  this 
writing  is  over  seventy  years  of  age,  in  good  health,  active  and  strong 
and  of  superb  memory  connected  with  events  of  the  Civil  War.  He 
married  Miss  Alice  Shamwell,  of  New  Orleans,  and  has  one  living  son, 
Wiliam  A.  Brunette,  of  Gulfport. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


153 


The  Reynolds  family,  also  pioneer  settlers  of  Summit,  from  New 
Orleans,  returned  to  that  city  some  years  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
One  of  the  daughters  of  this  family  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Soule,  of 
Soule’s  College. 

Col.  William  H.  Garland,  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  New  Orleans, 
Jackson  & Great  Northern  Railroad,  and  founder  of  the  town  of  Sum- 
mit, was  a widower  from  New  Orleans  with  the  following  children: 
Lizzie,  wife  of  Dr.  James  M.  Ferguson,  of  Stockdale’s  Cavalry;  David 
and  William  H.,  Jr.,  when  he  married  the  widow  O’Callahan,  with  the 
following  children:  Baldwin  (known  as  Bun),  Harold  and  Mollie. 
Colonel  Garland  and  his  wife,  Mrs.  O’Callahan,  were  the  parents  of 
Sidney  and  Bettie  Garland. 

In  1859,  while  Robert  Bacot  was  sheriff,  Ralf  Summers,  a negro 
slave  belonging  to  Jack  Summers,  the  tanner,  was  killed  by  Green 
Wingo,  a slave  of  Asa  Wingo,  for  which  the  latter  was  hung  after  trial 
by  jury  in  the  circuit  court.  This  killing  occurred  on  the  public  road 
near  the  plantation  of  Andrew  Kaigler,  across  the  river  from  Holmes- 
ville. 

Ralph  Gibson,  Capt.  Westly  Thomas  and  William  Carr,  who  lived 
on  Leatherwood,  were  members  of  Jefferson  Davis’  celebrated  1st 
Mississippi  Regiment  in  the  War  with  Mexico,  noted  for  excellent 
services,  crowning  the  American  arms  with  success  by  the  heroic 
efforts  and  gallantry  of  its  illustrious  colonel  and  his  men. 

William  Sparkman,  Joseph  Page,  Elijah  Page,  Felix  Campbell, 
John  and  Josh  Bishop  and  their  father  were  the  principal  carpenters 
and  builders  in  Holmesville. 

William  Sparkman  was  a fine  violinist  and  furnished  the  music 
for  the  balls  in  Holmesville  during  his  time  when  the  California  House 
was  famous  for  these  occasions. 

Holmesville  was  the  scene  of  many  a happy  gathering.  An  inland 
resort,  the  gay  and  the  chivalrous  came  from  near  and  far;  distant 
States  often  lent  their  charmers,  and  there  was  no  rural  town  or  county 
that  could  boast  of  more  attractive  and  lovable  women. 

One  of  the  first  fandangoes  the  writer  visited  while  in  his  tender 
teens  was  at  the  residence  of  Joseph  Luter,  on  the  farm  where  he  settled 


154 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  lived  on  Vamal  Creek.  It  was  often  the  case  that  boys  or  young 
men  from  towns  would  attend  these  country  dances,  and  they  some- 
times indulged  in  the  habit  of  poking  fun  at  the  country  lads  and  lasses. 
It  was  a fashion  for  them  to  wear  fine  red-top  boots  in  attendance  at 
these  balls.  The  country  girls  were  taught  to  dance  all  the  fandango 
figures,  “Virginia  reels,”  “fisher’s  hornpipe,”  “heel  and  toe,”  “side 
shuffle,”  the  “backstep”  and  “pigeon  wing.” 

On  this  occasion,  Flem  Burkhalter,  with  his  inimitable  bow  and 
fiddle  and  the  magic  pat  of  his  foot,  “filled  the  orchestra.”  The 
country  boys  fixed  up  a job — one  of  the  relics  of  Pindar  Ridge,  in 
Washington  Parish — on  a youngster  with  red-top  boots  and  a stand- 
ing collar  An  old  Virginia  reel  was  arranged  and  partners  chosen. 
One  of  the  handsomest  and  best  fandango  dancing  girls  was  robed  in 
a homespun  dress  and  kept  in  the  background  until  the  time  came  for 
the  red-top  boots  to  sidle  out  bantering  for  a vis-a-vee.  Flem  Burk- 
halter was  “up  to  the  game”  and  he  laid  his  head  down  on  his  fiddle 
and  went  to  work.  A lithe,  smiling  figure  tripped  out  in  front  of  the 
red-top  boots,  her  head  leaning  coquettishly  to  one  side,  a twinkle 
in  her  eyes,  a happy  smile  upon  her  cheeks,  with  her  homespun  dress 
slightly  tucked  above  the  ankles.  The  knight  of  the  red-top  boots 
was  amazed,  he  hesitated  for  a moment,  but  hands  clapped,  a shout 
went  up.  Flem  Burkhalter  came  down  vigorously  with  his  bow,  his 
foot  went  up  and  down,  red-top  boots  took  in  the  situation,  and  he 
proved  to  be  a “clipper”  in  the  art;  but  there  was  a match  for  him 
in  the  homespun  dress.  All  the  other  dancers  rested  back  on  one  foot 
in  line,  with  their  hands  folded  in  front  of  them,  eyes  riveted  on  the 
performers.  Flem  Burkhalter  sailed  out  from  one  tune  to  another 
for  half  an  hour,  and  then  plunged  into  Fisher’s  hornpipe.  Red-top 
boots  figured  with  the  time,  and  so  did  the  figure  in  the  homespun 
dress.  The  smile  that  lit  her  pretty  cheeks  was  there  yet,  calm  and 
beautiful,  the  head  leaned  from  one  side  to  the  other,  and  there  was 
not  an  error  in  the  motion  of  the  well-shaped,  flexible  limbs.  She 
was  one  of  “Flem  Buck’s”  pupils;  he  knew  the  power  of  her  endur- 
ance, and  he  fiddled  to  break  down  her  opponent;  but  “red-top”  was 
game;  he  was  loath  to  yield  to  the  pineywoods’  smiling  gazelle;  great 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


155 


drops  of  fluid  formed  on  his  chivalric  brow,  his  collar  went  limp,  his 
linen  was  dripping.  The  nimble  gazelle  sidled  him  around;  she 
wouldn’t  swing;  it  was  a test  of  endurance,  but  red-top  boots  had  to 
succumb,  and  he  bent  his  obedience  to  his  matchless  conqueress  in 
heroic  fashion,  and  from  that  hour  on,  after  she  had  donned  her  gayest 
attire,  they  were  the  charming  leaders;  took  the  first  place  at  the 
magnificent  supper  prepared,  wound  up  the  fandango  happy-hearted, 
and  went  their  way  rejoicing.  The  actress  in  this  famous  contest 
was  Miss  Louisa  Burkhalter,  an 
aunt  of  the  wife  of  Irvin  A.  Quin. 

The  first  man  to  receive  a 
license  to  teach  school  in  Pike 
County  was  W.  D.  Clarke,  in  the 
forties.  One  of  his  pupils,  in  the 
person  of  Hon.  Henry  S.  Brum- 
field, still  survives.  In  1902,  when 
these  notes  were  compiled,  Prof. 

Clarke  was  still  living  at  the  ripe 
old  age  of  eighty-one,  in  the  city  of 
Springfield,  111.,  and  had  recently 
written  a beautiful  letter  to  his 
pupil  of  the  long  ago. 

The  grading  of  the  railroad  was 
completed  to  Magnolia  in  1856. 

The  land  upon  which  the  town  was 
built  belonged  to  Ansel  H . Prewett, 
and  was  laid  off  in  town  lots  and 
sold  to  the  settlers. 

Ansel  H.  Prewett  was  a son  of  Elisha  Prewett  and  Ann  Huckabee, 
pioneers  from  Georgia.  His  first  wife  was  Julia  Ann  Rabom,  and  they 
were  the  parents  of  the  following  children:  Sarah  Ann,  who  first 
married  Wesley  Powell,  and  then  Howell  Dickey,  second  husband; 
Wm.  Harrison  Prewett,  who  married  Polly  Ann  Vaughn;  James 
Smiley  Prewett,  who  married  Elizabeth  Vaughn:  Martha  Ann,  who 
married  Newton  Nash;  Elisha  Taylor,  who  married  Sally  Harris, 


Ansel  H.  Prewett 

The  founder  of  Magnolia.  Appointed  Sheriff 
of  Pike  County  by  Governor 
Alcorn  in  1870 


156 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Naomi  Eviline,  who  married  David  Vaughn;  Mary  Ann,  who  married 
Cornelius  T.  Zachary. 

His  second  wife  was  Miss  Lucinda  Barron,  and  they  had  an 
adopted  daughter,  Ann  Elizabeth,  who  married  Erasmus  Nash. 

Magnolia  is  ninety-eight  miles  from  New  Orleans,  and  is  located 
on  a gentle,  undulating  elevation  sloping  eastward  with  the  little 
Tangipahoa  flowing  past  its  eastern  border,  and  Ballards  Creek,  since 
called  Minnehaha,  marking  its  western  boundary,  emptying  into  the 
Little  Tangipahoa  below  the  town.  The  following  are  numbered  as 
the  original  settlers  of  the  town:  Nick  Sinnot,  S.  R.  Jones,  Capt. 
Robert  L.  Carter,  W.  H.  Joiner,  W.  H.  B.  Croswell,  Joseph  Evans, 
Abraham  Hiller,  Bennett  Carter,  Evan  McLennan,  L.  Goumy,  Prof. 
Vincent,  E.  H.  Pezant,  Ira  Cockerham,  Dr.  Hart,  Dr.  Snyder,  Dr.  T.  J. 
Everett,  Samuel  Murray  Sandell,  John  Carter,  Henry  Hall,  Jasper 
Coney,  Dr.  J.  H.  Laney,  Mr.  Nurse,  George  Clarke,  Mrs.  Lagrue 
(Widow  Marshall),  Mrs.  H.  H.  Hadden,  Rev.  W.  H.  Roane,  Mrs. 
Emiline  Coney,  widow  of  Jackson  Coney,  and  Eugene  M.  Bee,  who 
was  the  first  depot  agent. 

The  Central  House,  erected  by  Dr.  Clark  and  kept  by  Henry  Gottig, 
was  built  in  1858. 

Capt.  Joseph  H.  Miller,  the  husband  of  Miss  Rachel  Coney,  was 
a son  of  Ebenezer  T.  Miller  and  Miss  Lucinda  Davis,  of  Morgan  County, 
Illinois.  He  came  South  in  1858  and  located  in  New  Orleans.  At 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war  he  joined  the  Washington  Artillery  and 
subsequently  was  stationed  at  Camp  Moore  as  a drill  master  and 
assisted  in  organizing  the  nth  Louisiana,  Colonel  Marks,  and  went 
to  the  front  as  Captain  of  Company  A.  While  in  service  he  was 
wounded,  and  being  thus  disabled  he  was  sent  back  to  Mississippi  as 
a recruiting  officer,  stationed  at  Holly  Springs  and  Jackson,  Miss. 
In  the  meantime  he  became  acquainted  with  Miss  Rachel  E.  Coney 
at  Magnolia  and  married  her  in  that  town.  At  the  close  of  the  war 
he  settled  there  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  died 
February,  1874.  He  possessed  a Washington  Artillery  pin  with  his 
name  inscribed  thereon,  dated  September  6,  i860,  presented  by 
S.  H.  to  J.  H.  M.,  which  is  an  heirloom  of  his  family. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


157 


In  order  to  ascertain  what  command  Capt.  J.  H.  Miller  and  Capt. 
A.  LeBlanc  belonged  to  during  the  Civil  War,  the  writer  addressed 
a letter  to  General  John  McGrath,  of  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  and  received 
the  following  reply: 

Mr.  L.  W.  Conerly,  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  July  31,  1908. 

Griswold , Miss. 

My  Dear  Friend: 

Yours  of  the  25th  instant  to  hand,  and  in  answer  will  say  that  I knew 
Capt.  Miller  and  Lieut.  Alex  LeBlanc  both.  LeBlanc  was  second  lieutenant 
of  a company  made  up  in  Baton  Rouge,  but  locally  known  as  the  Point  Coupee 
Volunteers.  The  reason  for  the  name  was  that  the  Pointe  Coupee  furnished  the 
money  to  equip  the  company,  which  was  officered  as  follows:  Wiley  Barrow, 

Captain;  Thompson  J.  Bird,  First  Lieutenant;  C.  D.  Favrot,  Second  Lieuten- 
ant; and  Alexander  LeBlanc,  Junior  Second  Lieutenant.  The  Eleventh  Regi- 
ment was  broken  up  in  1862,  and  the  non-commissioned  officers  and  men, 
after  the  formation  of  two  companies  of  sharp  shooters  known  as  Austin's  Bat- 
talion, were  divided  between  the  Thirteenth  and  Twentieth  Regiments  and 
the  officers  sent  on  provost  and  conscript  duty.  Under  this  arrangement, 
LeBlanc  was  sent  to  Magnolia,  or  that  vicinity.  I did  not  know  much  of  Capt. 
Miller. 

There  are  no  records  of  Confederates  in  Louisiana  except  a few  old  rolls  in 
Memorial  Hall. 

Regards  to  yourself  and  family. 

Yours  truly, 

John  McGrath, 

Per  M. 

Note.- — Alex.  LeBlanc,  above  mentioned,  married  Miss  Jodie  Coney,  sister 
to  Mrs.  Joe  Miller. 

James  Buchanan  was  President  of  the  United  States  in  i860,  and 
upon  the  assumption  of  her  individual  sovereignty,  South  Carolina 
demanded  of  the  Federal  Government  a return  to  her  the  possession 
of  Forts  Moultrie  and  Sumpter,  which  Were  parts  of  her  domain 
conditionally  held  by  the  United  States  Government,  with  a garrison 
in  Fort  Moultrie  under  Maj.  Robert  Anderson  The  secession  of 
South  Carolina  and  Mississippi  was  closely  followed  by  Texas,  Georgia, 
Alabama,  Florida,  North  Carolina,  Arkansas  and  Louisiana.  A pro- 
visional government  was  formed  and  named  the  Confederate  States 
of  America.  Virginia  held  back  for  some  time  in  the  interest  of  peace, 


158 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  called  a convention  of  States  to  meet  in  Washington  for  the  pur- 
pose of  trying  to  adjust  the  difficulties,  but  all  her  efforts  were  scorned 
by  the  Northern  States,  there  being  twenty  represented. 

Jefferson  Davis,  of  Mississippi,  who  had  served  the  United  States 
conspicuously  in  the  war  with  Mexico  and  as  Secretary  of  War  under 
President  Franklin  Pierce,  and  as  United  States  Senator  from  Missis- 
sippi, a man  of  great  ability  and  unblemished  character,  a gallant 
soldier  and  wise  statesman,  was  chosen  President  of  the  Confederate 
States,  with  the  provisional  capital  located  at  Montgomery,  Ala.,  and 
Alexander  H.  Stephens,  of  Georgia,  was  chosen  Vice-President. 

The  State  of  Maryland  was  handicapped  and  practically  subju- 
gated by  an  early  invasion  by  Federal  troops.  The  State  had  not 
seceded,  but  her  people  were  in  sympathy  with  her  sister  States  of 
the  South,  and  their  enthusiasm,  particularly  in  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
was  kindled  to  a high  degree.  The  Secretary  of  War,  by  proclama- 
tion, had  called  on  the  States  for  their  quota  of  troops  to  be  used  in 
the  war  about  to  be  inaugurated  for  the  coercion  of  the  seceded  States, 
and  it  was  learned  that  troops  from  the  West  were  to  come  through 
Maryland.  On  the  19th  of  April,  1861,  a body  of  them  landed  at  the 
depot  in  Baltimore  and  their  further  progress  disputed.  The  soldiers 
were  attacked  with  stones  and  many  of  them  injured,  when  they 
fired  on  the  citizens,  killing  a few  and  wounding  others.  This  move- 
ment of  the  troops  was  in  open  violation  of  the  United  States  Constitu- 
tion ; a provision  incorporated  in  the  States’  Constitutions,  to  move 
troops  through  a State  without  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  its 
Governor. 

On  the  nth  of  April,  1861,  General  Beauregard  demanded  of 
Major  Anderson  the  surrender  of  Fort  Sumpter,  which  he  held,  after 
secretly  leaving  Fort  Moultrie,  in  violation  of  an  agreement  pending 
negotiations  for  a peaceful  settlement,  by  order  of  his  government, 
which  he  declined  to  do.  In  a second  communication  to  General 
Beauregard,  he  offered  to  do  so  provided  he  should  not  receive  before 
that  time  controlling  instructions  from  his  government  or  additional 
supplies.  As  it  was  known  by  General  Beauregard  that  these  con- 
trolling instructions  had  already  been  issued  and  the  supplies  expected 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


159 


every  moment,  and  that  the  naval  forces  had  already  arrived  oft  the 
harbor,  and  were  prevented  from  coming  in  by  a gale,  there  being  no 
other  recourse  to  prevent  a conflict  with  the  combined  forces  of  the 
fleet  and  the  guns  of  Fort  Sumpter,  General  Beauregard  notified 
Major  Anderson,  on  the  12th  of  April,  at  3:20-a.  m.,  that  he  would 
open  fire  on  his  batteries  in  one  hour  from  that  time,  which  he  pro- 
ceeded to  do.  After  a bombardment  of  over  thirty  hours  the  fort 
was  partially  destroyed  and  set  on  fire  by  shells  and  Major  Anderson 
surrendered  on  the  13th. 

The  persistent  and  stereotyped  rant  of  Northern  demagogues  and 
Southern  haters  about  “firing  on  the  flag”  will  not  be  considered  by 
impartial  students  seeking  the  truth  of  history,  as  it  is  an  undeniable 
fact  of  record  that  after  Abraham  Lincoln  was  inaugurated  the  most 
cunning  treachery  was  practiced  in  the  negotiations  for  the  evacu- 
ation of  these  forts,  and  every  principle  of  honor  violated  by  gov- 
ernment authorities,  in  communications  with  the  commissioners  rep- 
resenting South  Carolina  and  the  recently  organized  Confederate 
Government. 

Horace  Greeley,  who  was  considered  the  best  authority  from  a 
black  Republican  point  of  view,  and  who  was  considered  fair  and 
honorable,  said:  “Whether  the  bombardment  and  reduction  of  Fort 
Sumpter  shall  or  shall  not  be  justified  by  posterity,  it  is  clear  that 
the  Confederacy  had  no  alternative  but  its  dissolution.” 

On  the  5th  of  May  following  the  scenes  enacted  in  the  city  of  Balti- 
more were  followed  up,  and  a body  of  United  States  troops  were 
quartered  at  the  relay  House  under  General  Butler,  who  subse- 
quently took  possession  of  Federal  Hill  and  consummated  the  military 
possession  of  Baltimore,  disarmed  the  people  and  placed  that  city 
under  martial  law.  The  police  commissioners  were  arrested  and  the 
city  marshal,  George  P.  Kane,  who  had  rendered  effective  service  in 
preserving  the  peace,  was  sent  to  Fort  McHenry  by  General  Banks 
who  succeeded  Butler,  and  thus  the  State  of  Maryland  was  subjugated 
and  wronged  by  the  Federal  Government  at  Washington  in  spite  of 
the  protests  of  her  Governor  and  her  people.  A touching  record  of 
facts  relating  to  the  gross  usurpations  of  Abraham  Lincoln’s  govern- 


160 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


ment  in  direct  violations  of  the  oath  of  office  he  had  taken  may  be 
properly  inserted  here  from  the  pen  of  Jefferson  Davis,  in  his  “Rise 
and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government: 

“Henceforth  the  story  of  Maryland  is  sad  to  the  last  degree,  only  relieved 
by  the  gallant  men  who  left  their  homes  to  fight  the  battles  of  State  rights  when 
Maryland  no  longer  furnished  them  a field  on  which  they  could  maintain  the 
rights  their  fathers  left  them.  This  was  a fate  doubly  sad  to  the  sons  of  the 
heroic  men  who,  under  the  designation  of  ‘Maryland  Line’,  did  so  much  in  our 
revolutionary  struggle  to  secure  the  independence  of  the  States;  of  men  who, 
at  a later  day,  fought  the  battle  of  North  Point;  of  the  people  of  a land  which  had 
furnished  so  many  heroes  and  statesmen,  and  gave  the  great  Chief  Justice 
Taney  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.” 

During  these  eventful  times  Pike  County  had  but  one  military 
organization,  the  Quitman  Guards.  The  excitement  produced  by  the 
aggressive  acts  of  Abraham  Lincoln  after  his  inauguration  on  the  4th 
of  March,  1861,  was  keenly  felt  and  aroused  the  Southern  people  to 
a sense  of  the  great  danger  threatening  them.  Lincoln  could  not  be 
regarded  by  them  as  anything  else  but  a revolutionist,  heading  the 
abolition  party,  by  whom  he  was  elected,  and  who  had  for  long  years 
been  menacing  the  institutions  of  the  South,  not  only  in  their  incendiary 
efforts  to  raise  insurrections  among  the  negroes  in  the  South  against 
the  whites,  but  the  actual  invasion  of  the  State  of  Virginia  by  abolition 
filibusters,  under  the  leadership  of  John  Brown,  who,  after  his  capture 
and  execution  at  Charlestown,  was  made  a saint  in  the  songs  and 
prayers  of  his  abolition  followers  and  sympathizers  throughout  the 
North. 

Many  of  the  young  men  of  Pike  County  immediately  rseponded  to 
the  call  of  President  Davis  for  troops  to  protect  Pensacola;  among 
them  being  James  Bridges  and  Joe  Quin,  students  at  Holmesville,  and 
Hugh  Q.  Bridges,  Wm.  J.  Lamkin  and  Wm.  Clint  Barnes,  and  Alexander 
Mouton  Bickham,  students  at  Oxford,  who  joined  the  University  Greys 
attached  to  the  nth  Mississippi  Regiment. 

Upon  polling  the  Quitman  Guards  it  was  found  that  a number 
of  them,  including  Capt.  Brent,  could  not  immediately  take  the  field 
if  called  upon,  and  it  was  determined  to  reorganize  the  company  and 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


161 


a call  was  made  to  make  up  the  maximum  of  one  hundred  men  al- 
lowed by  the  military  regulations,  and  Captain  Brent  resigned,  on 
account  of  his  planting  interests  which  he  could  not  suddenly  leave. 

On  the  15th  of  April,  1861,  Abraham  Lincoln  issued  his  proclama- 
tion calling  for  seventy-five  thousand  men  to  suppress  “combinations” 
opposed  to  laws  “too  powerful  to  be  suppressed  by  the  ordinary 
course  of  judicial  proceedings  or  the  powers  invested  in  marshals  by 
law,”  “the  execution  thereof  obstructed,  in  the  States  of  South  Car- 
olina, Georgia,  Alabama,  Florida,  Mississippi,  Louisiana,  and  Texas,” 
“by  virtue  of  the  power  in  me  vested  by  the  constitution  and  laws,” 
etc.  It  will  be  remembered  here  that  in  his  correspondence  with 
Alexander  Stephens  he  said  the  South  had  nothing  to  fear  from  him. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  had  no  such  authority  under  the 
Constitution.  This  act  of  Abraham  Lincoln  Was  clearly  an  assumption 
of  authority,  a violation  of  the  Constitution,  which  he  had  sworn  to 
support,  in  the  very  beginning  of  his  executive  career;  a preconceived 
revolutionary  measure  for  the  coercion  of  the  Southern  States  and  the 
abolition  of  negro  slavery. 

The  Constitution  of  the  United  States  clearly  and  emphatically 
says:  “The  Congress  shall  have  power  to  provide  for  calling  forth  the 
militia  to  execute  the  laws  of  the  Union  suppress  insurrection  and 
repel  invasions.” 

“Congress  shall  have  power  to  declare  war,”  says  the  United  States 
Constitution,  not  the  President,  and  when  this  man  who  had  sworn 
to  support  the  Constitution  invaded  Maryland  and  occupied  her  terri- 
tory and  shot  down  her  people  in  the  streets  of  Baltimore,  and  placed 
that  city  under  martial  law,  arresting  and  imprisoning  her  civil  officers, 
who  had  committed  no  unlawful  act  against  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  it  was  a declaration  of  war  upon  a State  of  the  Union 
which  had  not  denied,  nor  attempted  to  deny,  any  lawful  authority 
of  the  United  States,  nor  attempted  to  obstruct  the  execution  of  its 
laws,  certainly  exceeded  the  bounds  of  his  executive  authority. 

It  was  an  act  of  revolution  and  invasion  without  a lawful  excuse, 
and  under  the  rant  of  firing  on  the  flag  at  F ort  Sumpter  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Union,  men  flocked  to  his  standard  to  defend  their  “liber- 

11 


162 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


ties,”  “liberties”  assumed  to  invade  a peaceful  State  of  the  Union  and 
to  make  war  on  and  destroy  others  acting  solely  in  self-defense. 
Seventy-five  thousand  men  to  suppress  “unlawful  combinations!” 
Sovereign  States  acting  in  the  peaceful  exercises  of  State  rights.  The 
earnest  and  impartial  student  of  the  political  history  of  the  United 
States  cannot  fail  to  be  convinced  that  the  Southern  States  were 
eminently  correct  in  their  attitude  and  acts  in  1861.  That  Abraham 
Lincoln,  who  has  been  worshipped  and  lauded  as  a patriot  and  martyr 
to  liberty,  was  a tool  of  abolition  conspirators,  a violator  of  the  organic 
laws  of  the  land,  a revolutionist,  a destroyer  of  the  fundamental  prin- 
ciples upon  which  the  government  was  founded,  acting  in  direct  con- 
travention to  the  action  of  the  colonies  in  their  exercise  of  the  right 
to  withdraw  their  allegiance  to  the  British  Government  in  1776;  the 
reverse  of  George  Washington,  with  whom  the  feeble  effort  has  been 
made  to  class  him.  In  his  own  language  I would  say:  “We  cannot 
escape  history.” 

These  matters  are  here  mentioned  in  order  to  prepare  the  mind  of 
the  reader  for  the  future,  and  to  show  why  the  South  was  forced  to 
resort  to  arms,  and  why  Pike  County,  a mere  speck  on  the  map,  became 
like  other  sections  of  the  South,  almost  stripped  of  her  gallant  men 
and  boys  in  the  conflict  which  followed.  The  future  pages  contained 
in  this  work  are  embellished  with  their  names — their  deeds  are  recorded 
in  story  and  song,  in  ably  written  histories  of  the  land  and  in  the 
published  official  reports  of  the  armies. 

When  Virginia  failed,  through  the  convention  of  States  called  at 
Washington,  to  secure  an  amicable  adjustment  of  pending  difficulties, 
and  seeing  the  hopelessness  of  her  efforts  and  the  determination  mani- 
fested at  Washington  to  invade  and  coerce  the  Southern  States,  she 
positively  refused  any  aid  for  that  purpose,  but  promptly  withdrew 
from  the  Union  and  cast  her  destinies  with  the  Confederate  cause. 

The  secession  of  the  Southern  States  was  peacefully  accomplished, 
and  every  effort  consistent  with  honor  was  made  by  them  to  avoid 
war,  but  when  they  saw  the  treachery  manifested  over  the  Fort  Sump- 
ter affair  and  the  determination  of  Lincoln  to  coerce  them  they  deter- 
mined to  prepare  for  the  issue  as  best  they  could. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


163 


SOME  NOTES  ON  SECESSION. 

It  would  seem  proper  just  here  to  give  some  notes  on  secession,  as 
the  Southern  States  have  had  to  bear  the  blame  for  the  inculcation 
of  the  doctrine  and  for  the  “destruction  of  the  Union,’’  from  a Northern 
point  of  view.  We  are  at  a period  now  when  the  Southern  States 
are  exercising  the  right  of  secession,  not  threatening  to  do  so.  Here- 
tofore they  had  held  fast  to  the  Union,  defended  it  and  used  every 
means  in  their  power  to  sustain  it  in  all  its  purity  and  in  accordance 
with  the  rights  declared  by  the  Constitution. 

As  early  as  1781  the  New  England  States  began  the  agitation  of 
secession;  only  a few  years  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  from  this  time  on  down  to  1845,  a period  of  sixty  years,  promi- 
nent men  supported  and  sustained  by  the  people  in  New  England 
advocated  and  agitated  the  question  of  secession  and  the  formation 
of  a Northern  Confederacy. 

Let  us  go  back  a little  and  see  how  history  sustains  this  declara- 
tion: 

Jefferson  Davis  has  been  scurrilously  attacked  by  Northern  writers 
and  historians  as  the  father  of  secession  and  the  arch  traitor  of  America, 
from  the  time  imperial  Abraham  Lincoln  displayed  his  infamous  con- 
tempt for  American  institutions,  founded  on  the  independence  achieved 
by  the  colonists  in  the  revolution  of  1776.  If  Jefferson  Davis  is  the 
father  of  secession  and  the  arch  traitor  who  began  the  war  between 
the  North  and  South  what  name  can  be  given  to  those  who  brought 
on  the  war  against  Great  Britain  ? Who  were  the  fathers  of  that  great 
struggle?  In  other  words,  who  were  the  grandfathers  of  the  sin  of 
secession?  What  Southern  State  ever  made  the  threat  of  secession 
prior  to  i860?  Then  what  Northern  State  did?  For  the  benefit 
of  the  reader  it  may  be  well  even  in  this  little  history  of  Pike  County 
to  inform  him  on  this  subject.  The  historian  says: 

“While  the  thirteen  States  were  living  under  the  old  Articles  of 
Confederation,  1781-1788,  threats  of  a new  England  confederation 
were  loud  and  deep,  and  prominent  men  declared  that  if  the  Mississippi 
River  were  not  closed  up  for  twenty-five  years  the  New  England 


164 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


States  would  secede  from  the  perpetual  ‘Union’  and  establish  a con- 
federation for  themselves,”  and  this  was  because  commerce  of  the 
country  went  out  through  that  great  highway  instead  of  through  the 
Eastern  States.  Mark  the  date,  1781-1788. 

Lieutenant-Governor  Wolcott,  of  Connecticut,  made  this  declara- 
tion: “I  sincerely  declare  that  I wish  the  Northern  States  would 
separate  from  the  Southern  the  moment  that  event  (which  was  the 
election  of  Thomas  Jefferson  to  the  presidency)  shall  take  place.” 

The  election  of  Jefferson  a cause  of  secession? 

That  was  before  Jefferson  Davis  was  born.  Some  years  later  on, 
while  negotiations  were  pending  for  the  purchase  of  the  Louisiana 
Territory  from  France,  out  of  which  five  great  States  were  carved,  the 
Massachusetts  Legislature  passed  the  following  resolution: 

“Resolved,  That  the  annexation  of  Louisiana  to  the  union  transcends  the 
constitutional  power  of  the  government  of  the  United  States.  It  forms  a new 
confederacy  to  which  the  States  united,  by  the  former  compact,  are  not  bound 
to  adhere.” 

The  North  threatened  to  secede  if  the  Embargo  Act,  which  was 
passed  to  protect  citizens  of  the  United  States  on  the  high  seas  and 
the  honor  of  the  flag,  were  not  repealed. 

When  Congress  was  considering  the  admission  of  Louisiana  to  the 
Union,  in  January,  1811,  Massachusetts  spoke  out  vigorously  in  the 
person  of  her  representative,  Hon.  Josiah  Quinsey,  thusly: 

“I  am  compelled  to  declare  it  as  my  deliberate  opinion  that  if 
this  bill  passes  the  bonds  of  the  Union  are  virtually  dissolved,  that  it 
will  free  the  States  from  their  moral  obligations;  and,  as  it  will  be 
the  right  of  all,  so  it  will  be  the  duty  of  some,  to  prepare  for  a separa- 
tion.” Another  father  of  secession. 

When  was  Jefferson  Davis  bom?  June  3,  1808,  and  he  must  have 
been  learning  his  A,  B,  C’s  about  this  time  at  the  point  of  a goose- 
quill. 

In  the  proceedings  of  the  Hartford  Convention,  in  1814,  the  fol- 
lowing has  been  preserved  in  history  (some  more  Connecticut  feeling) : 

“In  cases  of  deliberate,  dangerous  and  palpable  infractions  of  the 
Constitution,  affecting  the  sovereignty  of  the  State,  it  is  not  only  the 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


165 


right,  it  is  the  duty  of  such  a State  to  interpose  its  authority  for  their 
protection  in  the  manner  best  calculated  to  secure  that  end.  States, 
which  have  no  common  umpire,  must  be  their  own  judges  and  execute 
their  own  decision.” 

This  was  good  secession  doctrine  for  New  England  in  1814,  but 
it  was  a crime  in  1861  for  the  Southern  States  to  act  upon  it! 

When  the  Florida  purchase  was  made  by  President  Monroe  in 
1819,  he  was  prevented  from  securing  the  Spanish  claims  west  of  the 
Mississippi  River  by  “ominous  threats  of  New  England  to  secede.” 

We  have  not  yet  read  of  any  Southern  State  doing  this  up  to  this 
time. 

In  1845  Massachusetts  again  threatened  to  secede  if  Texas  was 
admitted  to  the  Union,  when  her  Legislature  passed  the  following 
resolution : 

“The  annexation  of  Texas  will  drive  these  States  into  a dissolu- 
tion of  the  Union.”  What  States?  The  Northern  States.  And  down 
to  1845,  including  the  threat  to  secede  in  case  of  war  with  England 
in  1812,  the  North  made  nine  different  threats  to  secede,  and  Jefferson 
Davis,  though  he  had  been  admitted  to  a seat  in  Congress  in  1845, 
had  not  been  permitted  the  privilege  of  giving  expression  to  his  senti- 
ments on  secession,  learned  from  the  North,  and  we  have  not  heard 
from  South  Carolina  yet,  except  incidentally  in  asserting  her  sover- 
eign rights. 

New  Hampshire  spoke,  through  its  Governor,  in  this  wise  in  1792: 
“All  who  are  dissatisfied  with  the  measures  of  government  look  to  a 
separation  of  the  States  as  a remedy  for  oppressive  grievance.” 

“A  war  with  Great  Britain!  We,  at  least  in  New  England,  will 
not  enter  into.  Sooner  would  ninety-nine  out  of  one  hundred  of  our 
inhabitants  separate  from  the  Union  than  plunge  themselves  into  this 
abyss  of  misery.”  Thus  spoke  Timothy  Dwight,  President  of  Yale 
College,  in  1792. 

Who  fought  the  War  of  1812-15  and  beat  back  British  invasion 
of  our  country?  The  South  did. 

Massachusetts  presented  a petition  from  citizens  of  that  State  in 
1842,  through  John  Quincy  Adams  in  Congress,  praying  that  Congress 


166 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


immediately  adopt  measures,  peaceably,  to  dissolve  the  Union  of 
these  States;  and  one  of  the  reasons  given  was  that  if  the  Union  per- 
sisted in  the  present  state  of  things  it  would  overwhelm  the  whole 
nation  in  destruction. 

The  Southern  States  were  not  oppressing  New  England  nor  inter- 
fering with  their  affairs. 

“Up  to  1830  the  right  of  secession  was  universally  admitted,’’  said 
Charles  Francis  Adams. 

We  have  not  heard  from  Jefferson  Davis  yet,  though  we  have 
searched  the  records  clear  on  down  to  Daniel  Webster,  in  1851.  But 
Daniel  Webster  was  of  Massachusetts,  and  was  regarded  as  a very 
wise  man,  a great  statesman,  and  one  whose  opinion  was  considered 
correct.  What  does  he  say  when  the  Dred  Scott  fugitive  slave  question 
was  on?  Here  it  is: 

“I  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  and  to  repeat,  that  if  the  Northern 
States  refuse  wilfully  and  deliberately  to  carry  into  effect  that  part 
of  the  Constitution  which  respects  the  restoration  of  fugitive  slaves, 
and  Congress  provides  no  remedy,  the  South  would  no  longer  be 
bound  to  observe  the  compact.” 

And  the  Northern  States  refused  to  obey  the  mandates  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  and  according  to  Webster  the  South  had  a right  to 
secede  and  set  up  a Southern  Confederacy. 

N.  P.  Banks,  when  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives  in 
1857,  said: 

“Under  these  circumstances  I am  willing  to  let  the  Union  slide. 
If  slavery  is  to  continue  the  Union  cannot  and  ought  not  to  stand.” 

When  one  expedient  failed  to  keep  up  the  agitation  the  North 
adopted  another,  and  the  question  of  slavery  was  wrung  in  as  an  excuse 
for  Northern  secession  and  a free  Northern  confederacy. 

“Let  the  wayward  sisters  depart  in  peace,”  said  Gen.  Winfield 
Scott,  Commander  of  the  United  States  Army,  1861. 

Where  was  Jefferson  Davis  then?  In  the  United  States  Senate 
pleading  for  peace,  fair  play,  and  for  the  security  of  the  rights  of  the 
States  composing  the  Union. 

Col.  Timothy  Pickering  said,  as  far  back  as  1804:  “The  principles 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


167 


of  our  revolution  point  to  a remedy:  A separation.  A Northern 
confederacy  would  unite  congenial  characters  and  preserve  fairer 
prospect  of  public  happiness.” 

That  is  what  the  South  thought  in  1 860-61,  and  acted  upon  it. 
Secession  was  good  for  the  North  when  it  suited  the  Northern  case, 
but  when  it  came  to  be  necessary  for  the  South  to  exercise  the  right 
peaceably  to  save  herself,  which  she  claimed,  it  then  became  an  act 
of  treason,  and  since  we  have  arrived  at  that  point  let  us  hear  something 
more. 

William  Lloyd  Garrison,  a representative  of  the  North,  and  ex- 
pressing Northern  secession  sentiment,  spoke  thus  on  the  question: 
"Justice  and  liberty,  God  and  man,  demand  the  dissolution  of 
this  slave-holding  Union,  and  the  formation  of  a Northern  confed- 
eracy, in  which  slaveholders  shall  stand  before  the  law  as  felons  and 
be  treated  as  pirates.  No  Union  with  slave-holders!  Up  with  the 
flag  of  disunion,  that  we  may  have  a free  and  glorious  Union  of  our 
own.  . . This  Union  is  a lie;  the  American  Constitution  is  a 

sham,  an  imposture,  a covenant  with  death  and  an  agreement  with 
hell!  Let  the  slave-holding  Union  go,  and  slavery  will  go  with  the 
Union  down  into  the  dust!  If  the  Church  is  against  disunion  . 
then  I pronounce  it  of  the  devil!  I say  let  us  cease  striking  hands 
with  thieves  and  adulterers  and  give  to  the  winds  the  rallying  cry: 
‘No  Union  with  slaveholders,  socially  or  religiously,  and  up  with 
the  flag  of  disunion.’  ” 

You  may  search  the  records  in  vain,  you  cannot  find  any  such 
sentiments  uttered  by  Jefferson  Davis.  Abraham  Lincoln  said: 
"This  country  cannot  remain  half  free  and  half  slave.” 

He  was  nominated  and  elected  by  a party  pledged  to  the  abolition 
of  slavery  without  compensation  to  the  owners.  ^ 

Charles  Sumner  said  it  was  “a  dog’s  job  to  obey  it.”  Thaddeus 
Stephens  said:  "To  hell  with  the  Constitution,”  and  Abraham  Lin- 
coln followed  his  advice  from  beginning  to  end. 

William  Lloyd  Garrison  failed  to  tell  us  who  the  slave  pirates 
were.  He  passed  over  the  fact  that  360  Yankee  vessels  were  at  that 
very  time  engaged  in  the  felonious  act  of  kidnapping  uncivilized 


168 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


negroes  in  Africa,  bringing  them  over  to  the  glorious,  free,  humane 
and  religious  North  and  criminally  smuggling  them  into  the  Southern 
States,  in  violation  of  their  established  laws  prohibiting  the  importa- 
tion of  African  slaves  from  foreign  ports.  It  was  big  money  in  the 
Yankees’  pockets  and  a saintly  avocation  so  long  as  it  paid  handsome 
profits;  but  slavery,  which  they  established  and  kept  up,  like  the 
Constitution  which  protected  it,  became  "a  covenant  with  death  and 
an  agreement  with  hell”  as  soon  as  the  poor  African  was  turned  over 
to  the  Southern  slaveholder  and  the  Yankee  pirate  got  the  shining  gold 
for  him! 

Who  were  the  thieves,  the  adulterers,  the  pirates  and  felons  that 
stimulated  Mr.  Garrison  to  raise  the  rallying  cry  of  “No  Union  with 
slaveholders,  socially,  religiously,  and  up  with  the  flag  of  disunion?” 
His  own  people  of  the  New  England  States,  and  it  is  getting  time  for 
the  people  of  the  North  to  learn  the  truth,  for  in  the  language  of  their 
idol,  “They  cannot  escape  history.” 

In  the  face  of  these  historical  facts  the  South  has  been  assailed  by 
Northern  writers,  newspapers  and  historians  as  the  hotbed  of  secession. 

If  the  North  was  so  anxious  to  secede  and  form  a Northern  con- 
federacy which  would  give  them  security  and  peace,  why  did  not  they 
begin  at  the  time  they  thought  it  essential  to  their  interests  to  do  so ; 
and  if  the  North  desired  a free  confederacy  God  knows  the  South 
would  have  been  glad  of  it,  and  what  motive  could  they  have  to  deny 
to  the  South  that  which  they  clamored  so  long  for  themselves,  and 
what  motive  actuated  them  when  the  South  felt  aggrieved  and  formed 
a confederacy  by  peacefully  withdrawing  from  the  Union  ? Let 
history  speak  for  itself. 

The  South  tried  to  abolish  foreign  and  ocean  slave  trade  in  a 
constitutional  convention  held  in  1787,  but  the  pious  New  England 
Puritans  and  African  negro  kidnappers  defeated  the  effort;  and  while 
the  abolition  cohorts  of  the  North  and  East  were  organizing  their 
forces  in  1859  and  i860,  New  York  fitted  out  eighty-five  ships,  bring- 
ing over  from  Africa  between  thirty  and  sixty  thousand  negroes 
annually,  to  further  stimulate  the  pious  and  moral  fumigations  of 
Abraham  Lincoln  and  William  Lloyd  Garrison;  and  from  the  time 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


169 


of  the  constitutional  limit  against  importation  of  slaves  in  1808,  up 
to  i860,  it  has  been  declared  that  270,000  negroes  were  introduced 
into  New  England  and  smuggled  into  the  Southern  States  by  the 
pious  abolition  Yankees;  and  while  they  were  doing  this  they  were 
stealing  from  the  Southern  people  the  slaves  they  sold  them,  and  they 
openly  boasted  of  it,  one  Levi  Coffin  declaring  that  he  alone  had  been 
the  means  of  carrying  away  2,500  slaves,  valued  at  $2,500,000. 

From  1770  Rhode  Island  maintained  as  many  as  150  vessels,  most 
of  the  time  in  the  slave  trade,  to  a few  years  before  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  War.  She  probably  quit  the  ocean  business  then  to  make 
other  warlike  preparations  to  help  rob  the  Southern  owners  of  all  the 
others  sold  to  them  or  to  become  saints  when  their  kidnapping,  smug- 
gling and  stealing  back  ceased  to  be  profitable.  And  many  of  the 
palatial  residences  of  the  New  England  States  stand  as  monuments 
to  the  slave  trade  which  their  owners  followed. 

As  Massachusetts  was  the  first  to  legalize  slavery  within  her 
borders,  it  is  nothing  but  justice  to  her  to  give  her  credit  for  it,  by 
laws  passed  in  1641. 

If  the  2,500  slaves  that  Levi  Coffin  stole  back  from  Southern  pur- 
chasers were  worth  $2,500,000  it  was  a good  business  for  the  pious 
puritans,  who  have  been  classed  by  historians  “Not  mere  slave- 
mongers.  To  themselves  they  appeared  as  the  elect  to  whom  God 
had  given  the  heathen  as  an  inheritance.  In  seizing  and  enslaving 
Indians,  and  trading  for  negroes,  they  were  but  entering  in  possession 
of  the  heritage  of  the  saints.” 

Each  cargo  brought  over  by  the  eighty-five  vessels  fitted  out  in 
New  York  in  1859-60,  ranging  from  30,000  to  60,000  annually,  repre- 
sents so  many  millions  of  dollars,  and  if  they  were  worth  $1,000  each 
then  the  4,000,000  slaves  owned  by  the  South  in  1861  were  worth 
four  thousand  millions  of  dollars  taken  from  the  Southern  States, 
by  force  of  arms,  by  the  tender-hearted  Abraham  Lincoln  who  loved 
them  so  well. 

Massachusetts  was  pious  enough  to  pass  a law  abolishing  the  ocean 
slave  trade  about  1787,  but  Virginia  preceded  her  by  ten  years.  And 
Massachusetts  kept  up  the  institution  until  it  ceased  to  be  profitable, 


170 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  sold  them  off  to  Southern  people  and  got  the  money  for  them, 
and  so  did  the  other  Northern  slave  States. 

It  is  so  hard  to  "escape  history”  that  a few  bits  of  advertising  done 
later  on  in  Boston  and  Philadelphia  would  be  interesting.  The  Boston 
Continental  Journal  of  1799  advertised: 

“FOR  SALE. — A likely  negro  girl,  sixteen  years  of  age,  for  no  fault  but 
the  want  of  employment.” 

“FOR  SALE. — A likely  negro  wench,  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  with  a 
child  six  months  of  age;  to  be  sold  together  or  apart.” 

The  above  matters  are  mentioned  as  a preface  to  what  the  New 
England  States  did  in  1861-65  on  the  question  of  a "free  Northern 
confederacy”  versus  a slave  Southern  confederacy. 

It  is  intended  that  the  reader  should  know  that  Massachusetts 
and  the  other  New  England  States  are  responsible  for  the  institution 
of  slavery  in  this  country,  and  that  they  plied  the  ocean  trade  in 
violation  of  the  United  States  Constitution  limitation  of  1808  and  in 
violation  of  the  laws  passed  by  Southern  States  prohibiting  importa- 
tion of  negroes  from  Africa,  and  brought  them  into  Northern  and 
Eastern  ports  and  sold  them  into  Southern  States. 

As  the  secession  of  the  Southern  States  began  in  December,  i860, 
the  ocean  slave  trade  of  the  New  England  States  had  to  stop,  and  the 
millions  of  money  flowing  into  their  coffers  from  the  South  also. 

Now  let  us  see  how  many  troops  each  of  these  self-constituted 
"elect  to  whom  God  had  given  the  heathen  as  an  inheritance,”  fur- 
nished for  the  next  four  years  to  abolish  slavery  in  the  South  without 
compensation  to  their  owners.  We  will  try  to  be  fair  and  give  the 
statistics  published  as  historical  authority: 


Massachusetts  (army  and  navy) 159, 165 

Connecticut  (army) 57,882 

Maine  (army) 70,  107 

New  Hampshire  (army) 32,  750 

Vermont  (army) 36,755 

Pennsylvania  (army,  exclusive  of  militia) 362,  284 

New  York 448,850 

Rhode  Island 23,236 


Total 1,191,029 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  .COUNTY  MISSISSIPPI 


171 


And  those  pious,  benevolent,  kind,  Christian  kidnappers  and 
abolition  soldiers  have  had  the  gall  to  assert  that  the  slaveholders 
got  all  they  were  entitled  to  out  of  the  negroes  and  should  ; ot  be 
remunerated  for  them.  This  would  be  poor  logic  applied  to  them- 
selves if  they  had  thus  been  robbed.  And  the  Northern  States 
should  be  made  to  pay  full  value  for  every  slave  emancipated  with- 
out compensation,  and  until  they  do  it  the  crime  of  this  stupendous 
robbery  will  hang  over  their  heads  and  taunt  them  in  the  coming 
centuries.  Physically  the  Union  is  restored;  spiritually  the  Southern 
people  cling  to  their  ancient  blood  inheritance,  and  the  crime  of 
Southern  invasion  and  coercion  and  their  attendant  disasters  are 
unforgivable,  and  will  haunt  Yankee-doodle-dum  until  the  crack  of 
doom. 


172 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


CHAPTER  VI. 


The  exciting  events  leading  to  the  secession  of  the  Southern 
States,  the  formation  of  the  Confederate  government,  President 
Davis’  call  for  1,500  troops  to  protect  Pensacola,  the  fall  of  Fort 

Sumpter  and  Mr.  Lincoln’s  call  for 


75,000  men  to  put  down  what  he 
termed  “combinations  opposed  to 
laws”  “too  powerful  to  be  sup- 
pressed by  the  ordinary  course  of 
judicial  proceedings,”  created  a 
spirited  military  activity  all  over 
the  south,  and  it  was  clearly  seen 
that  the  cloud  in  the  horizon  “of 
the  size  of  a man’s  hand”  men- 
tioned in  Miss  Rachel  Coney’s 
speech  on  the  4th  of  July,  the  year 
previous,  was  rapidly  accumulat- 
ing in  volume.  In  response  to  the 
President’s  call  there  were  imme- 
diately two  companies,  the  Quit- 
man  Guards  and  the  Summit 
Rifles,  prepared  for  coming  events. 
In  April  the  Quitman  Guards  were 
reorganized  with  107  members  and 

Capt.  Samuel  A.  Matthews  the  Summit  Rifles  With  a lesser 

Quitman  Guards  number. 


The  following  is  the  muster  roll  of  the  Quitman  Guards  mustered 
into  the  State  service  on  the  21st  of  April,  1861: 


1 Samuel  A.  Matthews,  Captain 

2 James  M.  Nelson,  1st  Lieut. 

3 Thomas  R.  Stockdale,  2nd  Lieut. 

4 S.  McNeil  Bain,  3rd  Lieut. 

5 Wm.  M’Cusker,  1st  Sergt. 

6 R.  J.  R.  Bee,  2nd  Sergt. 

7 Colden  Wilson,  3rd  Sergt. 

8 Frank  P.  Johnson,  4th  Sergt. 


9  Luke  W.  Conerly,  5 th  Sergt. 

10  Louis  N.  Coney,  1st  Corp. 

11  Dr.  R.  T.  Hart,  2nd  Corp. 

12  Warren  R.  Ratliff,  3rd  Corp. 

13  Charles  A.  Ligon,  4th  Corp. 

14  E.  G.  Cropper,  Ensign 

15  Wm.  Thad  Tyler,  Commissary 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


173 


1 6 Andrew,  E.  C. 

17  Ast,  John 

18  Ard,  A.  E. 

19  Allen,  George  W. 


PRIVATES. 

20  Barksdale,  John  T. 

21  Brent,  J.  A. 

22  Brent,  Geo.  W. 

23  Badon,  H.  B. 


24  Burkhalter,  John  T. 

25  Burkhalter,  Charles 

26  Breed,  E. 

27  Barr,  Thomas  M. 


Capt.  John  Holmes 
Quitman  Guards 


28  Coney,  William  L. 

29  Coney,  John  H. 

30  Crawford,  Jesse 

31  Cook,  Thomas  D. 

32  Conerly,  Mark  R. 

33  Collins,  Joseph  W. 

34  Carter,  Harvey 


35  Coney,  Van  C. 

36  Fry,  Charles  H. 

37  Friedrich,  Phil.  J. 

38  Forest,  Thomas  Jeff. 

39  Forest,  Benjamin  F. 

40  Foil,  J.  D. 

41  Finch,  William 


42  Finch,  Milus 

43  Gamer,  William 

44  Gibson,  Jesse  F. 

45  Guina,  Asa  H. 

46  Gillespie,  J.  P. 

47  Holmes,  John 

48  Holmes,  Benjamin 


174 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


49  Hamlin,  O.  C.  69 

50  Harvey,  W.  Pearl  70 

51  Hamilton,  Thomas  71 

52  Howe,  Charles  72 

53  Hewson,  George  73 

54  Irwin,  James  74 

55  Jelks,  Eugene  W.  75 

56  Jewell,  Collin  wood  76 

57  Jones,  H.  L.  77 

58  Ligon,  Lemuel  T.  78 

59  Lewis,  Jesse  W.  B.  79 

60  Lewis,  Benjamin  H.  80 

61  Lewis,  Martin  L.  81 

62  Laney,  E.  A.  82 

63  Lamkin,  Charles  A.  83 

64  Lamkin,  Samuel  R.  84 

65  Leonard,  David  85 

66  Leonard,  John  86 

67  Lawrence,  Irwin  G.  87 

68  Luter,  William  D.  88 


McIntosh,  D.  M. 
McGehee,  William  Frank 
McGehee,  Dr.  J.  G.  L. 
McGill,  Henry 
McCusker,  John 
McNabb,  James 
Mixon,  Alex.  R. 
Matthews,  George  N. 
Martin,  William 
May,  William 
May,  Jared  B. 

Morgan,  Green  W. 
Newman,  Thomas  H. 
Neal,  James  N. 
Netherland,  Joseph  N. 
Pearson,  Holden 
Pendarvis,  James 
Page,  James 
Pearl,  Seth  W. 

Root,  George  W. 


89  Ratliff,  Simeon 

90  Regan,  Thomas  G. 

91  Reeves,  William  R. 

92  Rushing,  Elisha  T. 

93  Stovall,  Robert  D. 

94  Sutherland,  Alex. 

95  Simmons,  George  B. 

96  Sandell,  S.  Murray 

97  Sparkman,  A.  P. 

98  Tarbutton,  A.  J. 

99  Tarver,  John  E.  J. 

100  Travis,  John  Q. 

101  Tisdale,  Joseph  M. 

102  Walker,  John  A. 

103  Walker,  Anderson 

104  Williams,  W.  L. 

105  Winbome,  Benjamin 

Frank 

106  Wilson,  R.  D. 

107  Yarborough,  Wesley 


Thus  organized  the  Quitman  Guards  were  mustered  into  the 
State  service  on  the  21st  of  April,  1861,  by  Capt.  Griffith,  in  front 
of  the  residence  of  John  T.  Lamkin,  on  the  public  square  at  Holmes- 
ville,  in  the  presence  of  a large  number  of  ladies;  and  on  the  26th 
of  May  following  the  company  embarked  on  the  cars  at  Magnolia 
for  Corinth,  Miss.,  where  they  were  ordered  to  rendezvous.  On 
this  occasion,  Magnolia  was  the  scene  of  a great  gathering  of  the 
people  from  all  parts  of  the  county  to  witness  the  departure  of  the 
soldiers  to  the  seat  of  war,  as  every  precinct  in  the  county  was  repre- 
sented in  the  ranks  of  that  company.  Their  names  are  all  here, 
carefully  preserved  by  this  Writer,  ever  since  that  eventful  period. 

Arriving  at  Corinth,  the  Quitman  Guards  were  connected  with 
the  1 6th  Mississippi  regiment,  composed  of  nine  other  companies  as 
follows,  and  designated  Co.  “E:” 

|b  Summit  Rifles,  Co.  “A,”  Capt.  Murphy,  (succeeding  Blincoe,  re- 
signed) of  Pike  County. 

Westville  Guards,  Co.  “B,”  Capt.  Funches,  Simpson  County. 

Chrystal  Springs  Southern  Rights,  “C,”  Capt.  Davis,  Copiah 
County. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


175 


Adams  Light  Guards,  “D,”  Capt.  Robert  Clark,  Natchez,  Adams 
County. 

Jasper  Grays,  “F,”  Capt.  J.  J.  Shannon,  Jasper  County. 

Fairview  Rifles,  “G,”  Capt.  Moore,  Claiborne  County. 

Smith  Defenders,  “H,”  Capt.  W.  H.  Hardy,  Smith  County. 

Adams  Light  Guards,  “I,”  Capt.  Walworth,  Natchez,  Adams 
County. 

Wilkinson  Rifles,  “K,”  Capt.  Carnot  Posey,  Wilkinson  County. 

Capt.  Posey  was  elected  Colonel,  Capt.  Robert  Clark,  of  Co.  D., 
Adams  Light  Guards,  was  elected  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Lieut. 
Thomas  R.  Stockdale  was  elected  Major.  These  troops  all  volun- 
teered for  one  year,  counting  from  the  organization  of  the  regiment 
at  Corinth,  May  27,  1861. 

These  troops  were  kept  at  Corinth  in  camp  of  instruction  from 
this  time  until  the  24th  of  July,  after  the  news  was  received  of  the 
battle  of  Bull  Run  or  First  Manassas,  July  18-21,  1861,  when  they 
were  ordered  to  Virginia.  Considerable  sickness  prevailed  among 
them  at  Corinth,  caused  from  the  water  they  were  compelled  to  use, 
being  impregnated  with  lime,  to  which  they  were  unaccustomed, 
and  improperly  cooked  food.  Provisions  were  given  under  the  old 
army  rules  and  really  in  greater  quantities  than  necessary  and  a 
large  number  were  stricken  with  diarrhea,  and  besides  this  the  measles 
broke  out  among  them,  and  the  mortality  was  very  great,  and  had 
a very  discouraging  influence  in  the  ranks.  The  Quitman  Guards 
were  particularly  unfortunate  in  this  respect.  The  following  mem- 
bers died  at  this  place:  Benjamin  H.  Lewis,  F.  P.  Johnson,  Pearl 

Harvey,  Thomas  Hamilton,  Corporal  Louis  Coney,  William  D.  Luter, 
and  several  were  discharged  from  disability  incurred. 

On  the  22nd  of  July,  after  the  men  had  cooked  and  eaten  their 
supper,  the  news  came  along  the  electric  wires  of  the  battle  of  Bull 
Run,  and  its  results,  which  was  received  with  vociferous  shouts  from 
the  five  thousand  Mississippians  stationed  at  Corinth,  and  on  the 
24th,  Col.  Posey  received  orders  to  repair  with  his  regiment  to  Vir- 
ginia. 


176 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Dr.  Wm.  J.  Lamkin 
Gloster,  Miss. 

Quitman  Guards,  Co.  E,  16th  Miss.  Regt., 
Harris’  Brigade,  Lee’s  Army 


The  following  recruits  were  subsequently  added  to  the  Quitman 
Guards : 


i Andrews,  Thomas  J. 

12  Guy,  William  Jefferson 

2 Boutwell,  William 

13  Gamer,  Ransom 

3 Bankston,  Burton  D. 

14  Holloway,  T.  P. 

4 Barnes,  B.  L. 

15  Holloway,  Felix  H. 

5 Barnet,  James  A. 

16  Hartwell,  Charles  E. 

6 Conerly,  Buxton  R. 

17  Lamkin,  William  J.,  (transferred 

7 Coleston,  John  A. 

from  nth  Mississippi). 

8 Donahoe,  John  A. 

18  Lamkin,  Tilman  S. 

9 Estess,  William  A. 

19  Lyles,  John  Y. 

io  Foxworth,  George 

20  McGehee,  Hans  J. 

ii  Guy,  Jesse  W. 

2 1 Miller,  George  W. 

HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


177 


22  Magee,  William  Levi 

23  Newman,  Joseph  B. 

24  Newman,  John  A. 

25  Payne,  William  L. 

26  Rushing,  Warren  T. 

27  Rhodus,  Reeves 

28  Stanford,  James  D. 

29  Sandifer,  Hans  D. 

30  Sparkman,  William  L. 


31  Scarborough,  Henry 

32  Simmons,  Jeff.  E. 

33  Smith,  C.  C. 

34  Smith,  George 

35  Smith,  Dan  J. 

36  Welch,  Samuel 

37  Watts,  Arthur  T. 

38  Wilson,  Matthew 


Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  number  of  men  belonging  to  this 
company  was  145,  but  it  was  reduced  by  losses  in  transferred  and 
discharged  to  the  number  of  forty  two. 

The  readers  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  some  of  the  names 
of  men  who  were  discharged  and  transferred  appear  in  the  rolls  of 
other  companies  from  Pike  County,  subsequently  formed.  Some 
were  transferred  to  other  State  regiments. 

The  following  named  persons  ceased  to  be  members  of  the  Quit- 
man  Guards  by  being  discharged  on  account  of  disability  at  the  time 


of  discharge  or  transferred : 

1 Ast,  John 

2 Breed,  E. 

3 Barnes,  J.  A. 

4 Barksdale,  A.  J. 

5 Cropper,  E.  G.  (over  age). 

6 Cook,  Thomas  D. 

7 Coleston,  John  A. 

8 Conerly,  M.  R. 

9 Coney,  William  L.  (under  age). 

10  Crawford,  J.  D, 

11  Estess,  W.  A. 

12  Forest,  B.  F. 

13  Gibson,  Jesse  F. 

14  Gillespie,  J.  P. 

15  Hamlin,  0.  C. 

16  Hewson,  George  (to  Co.  D,  16th). 

17  Holloway,  T.  P.  (over  age). 

18  Garner,  Rans 

19  Irwin,  James 

20  Laney,  E.  A.  (to  15th  Alabama). 

21  Leonard,  John 

22  Lamkin,  Charles  A.  (under  age). 

23  Ligon,  Charles  A. 

12 


24  Lawrence,  Irvin  J. 

25  Lewis,  Martin  L. 

26  May,  William 

27  Morgan,  Green 

28  McGehee,  Dr.  J.  G.  L. 

29  McCusker,  John 

30  McIntosh,  D.  M.,  (transferred  to 

Co.  C,  1 6th  Mississippi). 

31  Martin,  William,  (transferred  to 

Washington  Artillery). 

32  Neal,  James 

33  Netherland,  J.  A. 

34  Newman,  J.  B. 

35  Pearl,  Seth 

36  Ratliff,  Warren 

37  Rushing,  W.  T. 

38  Smith,  C.  C. 

39  Sutherland,  Alex. 

40  Tisdale,  J.  M. 

41  Welch,  Samuel 

42  Watts,  A.  T.,  (transferred  to 

Summit  Rifles). 


178 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  recapitulation  of  the  Quitman  Guards  is  as  follows: 


Enlisted 107 

Recruited 38 

Total 145 


Died  of  disease 27 

Killed  in  battle 13 

Died  of  wounds 3 

Discharged  and  transferred 48 

Officers  retired 4 

Men  living  and  belonging  to  com- 
pany May  1,  1865 50 

Total 145 


QUITMAN  GUARDS  SURVIVORS  KNOWN  TO  BE  LIVING,  APRIL  21,  1906. 


1 Capt.  John  Holmes,  Picayune, 

Miss.,  died  1907. 

2 Lieut.  John  Q.  Travis,  Magnolia, 

Miss.,  died  1907. 

3 Sergt.  Elisha  C.  Andrews,  Gloster, 

Miss. 

4 Dr.  Wm.  J.  Lamkin,  Gloster,  Miss. 

5 Dr.  A.  P.  Sparkman,  Magnolia, 

Miss. 

6 Simeon  Ratliff,  McComb,  Miss. 

7 Dr.  R.  T.  Hart,  McComb,  Miss., 

died  1908. 

8 Thomas  Regan,  Darbun,  Miss. 

9 Charles  E.  Hartwell,  Wesson,  Miss. 

10  George  W.  Root,  Linus,  La. 

1 1 Thomas  M.  Barr,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 

12  George  Smith,  Tylertown,  Miss. 

13  Warren  Lafayette  Payne,  Tyler- 

town, Miss. 


14  John  A.  Walker,  Magnolia,  Miss. 

15  Buxton  R.  Conerly,  Marshall,  Tex. 

16  Luke  W.  Conerly,  Gulfport,  Miss. 

1 7 Thomas  Andrews,  Monticello,  Miss. 

18  Hans  J.  Sandifer,  McComb,  Miss. 

19  William  Thad  Tyler,  Chattanooga, 

Tenn. 

20  William  L.  Coney  (later  in  Stock- 

dale’s  Cavalry),  Magnolia,  Miss. 

21  Chas.  A.  Lamkin  (later  in  Holmes- 

ville  Guards),  Texas. 

22  Irvin  G.  Lawrence,  Pike  Co.,  Miss. 

23  Jared  B.  May,  died  1907 

24  Jefferson  Guy,  Texas. 

25  Frank  B.  Forest,  Texas. 

26  B.  F.  Winbome,  Columbia,  Miss. 

27  Eugene  W.  Jelks,  Marion  Co.,  Miss. 


COLONEL  SENECA  M’NEIL  BAIN. 

Colonel  Seneca  McNeil  Bain  was  a native  of  New  York  State.  He  married 
and  emigrated  to  Mississippi  in  the  early  fifties  with  his  wife  and  cousin,  William 
J.  Bain,  and  Miss  Orrie  Gillis.  William  J.  Bain  was  a talented  young  lawyer 
and  a popular  man  among  the  people,  especially  with  the  young  men  and  young 
women  at  Holmesville.  He  died  in  Covington  County  while  on  one  of  his  pro- 
fessional trips  in  i860,  during  the  heated  season,  deeply  mourned  by  all  his 
young  friends. 

Col.  Bain  engaged  in  school  teaching  with  Miss  Orrie  Gillis  at  Holmesville, 
and  was  so  engaged  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War.  He  and 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


179 


his  wife  had  an  only  child,  a little  girl,  that  they  named  Dixie,  and  Dixie  was  a 
favorite  song  sung  and  played  on  their  musical  instruments  by  the  family. 

Col.  Bain  studied  medicine  and  attended  a course  of  lectures  at  the  Medical 
Institute  of  Louisiana  in  New  Orleans,  during  the  term  of  i860— 1861,  in  com- 
pany with  Dr.  A.  P.  Sparkman,  Dr.  C.  P.  Conerly  and  Dr.  Joe  Thornhill.  He 
joined  the  Quitman  Guards,  was  elected  lieutenant  and  went  out  into  the  Con- 
federate service  with  that  company  and  fought  through  the  war  in  Virginia. 
He  was  elected  captain  of  the  Quitman  Guards  in  1862  and  rose  to  the  rank 
of  colonel  of  the  regiment  at  the  battle  of  “Bloody  Angle,”  Spottsylvania 
Court  House,  May  12,  1864,  and  was  the  last  colonel  of  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi 
Regiment.  He  was  captured  in  the  battle  of  Weldon  Railroad,  during  the 
siege  of  Petersburg,  August  21,  1864,  and  was  held  a prisoner  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  when  he  returned  to  his  old  home  at  Holmesville,  where  he  remained 
until  he  finished  his  course  in  medicine.  He  subsequently  removed  to  the 
State  of  Texas,  where  he  remained  until  his  death,  about  1900.  He  was  greatly 
loved  by  the  members  of  the  Quitman  Guards  and  by  the  entire  Sixteenth  Mis- 
sissippi Regiment.  He  was  a quiet  man,  handsome,  and  genteel  in  his  deport- 
ment, and  as  cool  in  battle  while  commanding  his  men  as  he  ever  was  in  the  quiet 
control  of  his  classes  in  the  school  room.  His  name  will  live  in  the  history  of  the 
services  of  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi  in  the  great  conflicts  in  Virginia  under  Lee, 
along  with  Carnot  Posey,  Samuel  E.  Baker,  A.  M.  Feltus  and  the  intrepid  Coun- 
cil, who  lost  their  lives  commanding  that  regiment  in  the  sanguinary  conflicts 
of  Bristoe,  Spottsylvania  and  Petersburg. 

OFFICERS  RETIRED  APRIL  26,  1862. 

1 S.  A.  Matthews,  Captain.  3 Thomas  R.  Stockdale,  2nd  Lieut. 

2 James  M.  Nelson,  1st  Lieut.  and  Major. 

4 R.  J.  R.  Bee,  3rd  Lieut. 


KILLED  IN  BATTLE. 


1 Elisha  T.  Rushing,  Bloody  Angle, 

Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va.,  May 
12,  1864. 

2 Alex.  R.  Mixon,  Brigade  Ensign, 

Bloody  Angle,  Spottsylvania  C. 
H.,  Va.,  May  12,  1864. 

3 J.  D.  Standford,  Turkey  Ridge, 

Va.,  June  6,  1864. 

4 Matthew  Wilson,  Sergt.,  Wilder- 

ness, Va.,  May  6,  1864. 

5 A.  E.  Ard,  Corp.,  Weldon  Railroad, 

Va.,  August  21,  1864. 

6 Tilman  S.  Lamkin,  Weldon  Rail- 

road, Va.,  August  21,  1864. 


7 William  L.  Sparkman, Petersburg, 

Va.,  April  2,  1865. 

8 Robert  D.  Stovall,  Sergt.,  Peters- 

burg, Va.,  April  2,  1865. 

9 James  Page,  in  trenches,  Peters- 

burg, Va.,  October  9,  1864. 

10  Asa  H.  Guina,  Chancellorsville> 

Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

11  John  A.  Newman,  Chancellorsville. 

Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

12  Westley  Yarborough,  mortally 

wounded,  Cross  Keys,  Va.,  June 
8,1862. 


180 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


KILLED  IN  BATTLE. 

13  George  W.  Simmons,  mortally  wound-  16  Jesse  W.  Guy.ySharpsburg,  Md., 

ed,  Cold  Harbor, Va.,  June  27, 1862.  September  17,  1862. 

14  Joseph  W.  Collins,  Cold  Harbor,  June  17  Wm.  R.  Reeves,  mortally  wound- 

27,  1862.  ed,  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  July  4, 

15  Lieut.  Colden  Wilson,  mortally  1863. 

wounded,  (Sharpsburg,  Md.,  Sep- 
tember 17  i8"62. 

WOUNDED  IN  BATTLE. 


1 A.  P.  Sparkman,  Cross  Keys,  Va., 

June  8,  1862. 

2 Jared  B.  May,  Cross  Keys,  Va., 

June  8,  1862. 

3 Thos.  Jeff  Forest,  Gettysburg,  Pa.. 

July  3,  1863,  and  in  the  trenches 
at  Petersburg,  July,  1864. 

4 Samuel  R.  Lamkin,  lost  arm,  Au" 

gust  21,  1864,  Weldon  Railroad- 

5 J.  Alex.  Brent,  Petersburg,  Va., 

September,  1864. 

6 Hans  D.  Sandefer,  Bloody  Angle, 

Spottsylvania,  May  12,  1864. 

7 L.  W.  Conerly,  Bloody  Angle, 

Spottsylvania,  May  12,  1864, 

and  at  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  Sep- 
tember 17,  1862. 

8 R.  D.  Stovall,  Bloody  Angle,  May 

12,  1864. 

9 William  J.  Lamkin,  Weldon  Rail- 

road, August  21,  1864;  Second 
Manassas,  August  30,  1862;  also 
at  Bull  Run,  July  21,  1861,  while 
a member  of  nth  Miss. 

10  Holden  Pearson,  Weldon  Railroad, 

August  2i,  1864. 

11  John  A.  Donohoe,  Petersburg,  Va., 

July,  1864. 

12  John  A.  Walker,  Turkey  Ridge, 

Va.,  June,  1864;  Second  Manas- 
sas, August  30,  1862. 

13  Lemuel  T.  Ligon,  Turkey  Ridge, 

Va.,  June,  1864. 

14  William  Gamer,  permanently  dis- 

abled, from  which  he  subse- 


quently died,  Cross  Keys,  June 
8,  1862. 

15  George  Root,  Cold  Harbor,  June 

27,  1862,  both  knees. 

16  Lieut.  John  Holmes,  Cold  Harbor, 

June  27,  1862. 

17  Wash  L.  Williams,  arm  off,  Second 

Manassas,  August  30,  1862. 

18  Benjamin  Holmes,  Second  Manas- 

sas, August  30,  1862. 

19  Burton  D.  Bankston,  Second  Ma- 

nassas, August  30,  1862. 

20  Matthew  Wilson,  Second  Manassas, 

August  30,  1862. 

21  Lieut.  Van  C.  Coney,  Sharpsburg, 

September  17,  1862. 

22  Reaves  Rhodis,  Sharpsburg,  Sep- 

tember 17,  1862. 

23  David  Leonard,  Sharpsburg,  Sep- 

tember 17,  1862. 

24  A.  J.  Tarbutton,  Sharpsburg,  Sep- 

tember 17,  1862. 

25  William  McCusker,  Sharpsburg, 

September  17,  1862. 

26  A.  E.  Ard,  Sharpsburg,  September 

17,  1862. 

27  Thomas  M.  Barr,  Sharpsburg,  Sep- 

tember 17,  1862. 

28  Lieut.  J.  Q.  Travis,  Chancellors- 

ville,  May  2,  1863. 

29  Simeon  Ratliff,  Chancellorsville, 

May  2,  1863. 

30  W.  L.  Payne,  Chancellorsville, 

May  2,  1863. 

31  T.  J.  Forest,  Chancellorsville,  May 

2,  1863. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


181 


Lieutenant  John  Q.  Travis 

Second  Lieutenant  Quitman  Guards,  1 6th  Mississippi  Regiment 


JOHN  QUINCY  TRAVIS. 

Lieut.  John  Quincy  Travis  was  bom  in  Amite  County  on  the  30th  day  of 
December,  1832,  near  Travis  Bridge,  on  the  Amite  River.  His  grandfather, 
John  Travis,  came  to  the  territory  of  Mississippi  in  early  1800  from  South 
Carolina,  when  his  father,  John  Travis,  was  a small  boy,  and  he  came  directly 
from  the  old  pioneer  stock  of  South  Carolina,  who  plunged  into  the  deep  wil- 


182 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


demess  amid  all  its  dangers  and  hardships  to  establish  new  homes  as  soon  as 
Mississippi  was  constituted  a territorial  government.  The  name  of  Travis 
belongs  to  the  history  of  the  past,  and  is  associated  with  all  that  excites  the 
admiration  for  heroism  and  chivalry.  It  is  stamped  indelibly  upon  the  recollec- 
tion of  the  Texas  revolution  and  the  Alamo  lives  in  history  as  a monument  to 
its  memory.  John  Travis,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  a first  cousin  to 
the  celebrated  Travis  of  Alamo  fame,  who,  while  on  his  way  to  join  the  Texas 
patriots,  stopped  a few  days  in  Amite  County  with  him. 

John  Quincy  Travis’  mother  was  Polly  Raibom,  daughter  of  Joseph  Rai- 
bom,  who  also  came  from  South  Carolina  in  the  early  1800  and  settled  on  Tan- 
gipahoa, about  four  miles  from  the  town  of  Magnolia.  In  his  boyhood  Mr. 
Travis  learned  the  carpenters’  trade  and  in  1852,  at  the  age  of  20,  he  went  to 
Holmesville  and  pursued  his  occupation  there  until  1855,  when  he  went  to 
Eastern  Texas  and  lived  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1861,  then  returned 
to  Holmesville  and  joined  the  Quitman  Guards  as  a private  in  the  ranks,  and 
went  with  the  company  to  Virginia  under  Capt.  Samuel  A.  Mathews.  He 
was  with  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi  Regiment  in  the  celebrated  Valley  Campaign, 
as  part  of  Ewell’s  command,  who  reinforced  Stonewall  Jackson  and  partici- 
pated in  the  battle  of  Winchester  on  Sunday,  May  25,  1862,  which  resulted  in 
the  defeat  of  N.  P.  Banks  and  his  expulsion  from  Virginia.  Previous  to  this 
battle,  at  a reorganization  of  the  company,  he  was  elected  second  sergeant.  He 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Cross  Keys,  when  Fremont’s  forces  were  defeated, 
and  then  on  through  that  wonderful  movement  of  Jackson  and  Ewell  to  Rich- 
mond, when  on  the  26th  of  June,  1862,  they  struck  McClellan’s  right,  and,  in 
the  Seven  Days’  Battles,  beat  him  back  under  cover  of  his  gunboats.  He  was 
in  the  fight  at  Turkey  Ridge  and  Cold  Harbor.  He  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Second  Manassas  on  the  30th  of  August,  1862,  when  the  army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia, under  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee,  defeated  the  Federals  under  Pope  and  drove 
him  back  to  Washington.  It  was  at  this  battle  that  Sergeant  Travis  was 
recommended  by  Gen.  Featherston  for  promotion  for  meritorious  conduct  on 
the  field  while  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi  was  exposed  to  a deadly  fire  from  the 
enemy’s  batteries.  He  was  at  the  siege  of  Harpers  Ferry,  where  Gen.  Miles 
and  his  command  of  eleven  thousand  men  were  captured,  and  at  Sharpsburg, 
Md.,  on  the  17th  of  September  following.  He  was  at  Hazle  River  with  his 
command,  in  support  of  Gen.  J.  E.  B.  Stuart  on  the  10th  of  November,  and  at 
Fredericksburg  on  the  nth,  12th  and  13th  of  December,  1862,  where  the  Con- 
federates under  Lee  so  signally  defeated  Gen.  Burnside. 

At  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  on  the  2nd  of  May,  1863,  he  commanded 
the  second  platoon  of  the  Quitman  Guards  on  the  picket  line,  when  some  hard 
fighting  was  done,  Lieutenant  Van  C.  Coney  being  in  command  of  the  company. 
They  became  exposed  to  a severe  artillery  fire  of  the  enemy  and  it  was  here  that 
Lieutenant  Travis  lost  his  right  hand,  thus  commingling  his  blood  on  the  same 
field  made  famous  by  the  defeat,  by  Gen.  Lee  with  40,000  men  of  Gen.  Joe  Hook- 
er with  iio.coo  men,  and  the  loss  by  the  Confederate  army  of  the  illustrious 
Stonewall  Jackson.  In  this  great  battle,  Lieutenant  John  Holmes  acted  major 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


183 


of  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi  Regiment.  After  returning  home  from  the  army 
Lieutenant  Travis  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming.  He  married  Sarah 
K.  Coney,  daughter  of  Jeremiah  Coney  and  Emily  Quin.  In  1871  he  was  elected 
Sheriff  of  Pike  County  and  served  three  terms,  being  elected  by  a good  majority 
in  the  campaign  of  1875.  He  was  afterwards  assistant  postmaster  at  Magnolia 
for  six  years. 

In  the  army  he  gave  to  the  Confederacy,  in  behalf  of  his  native  State,  all 
the  spirit  it  was  possible  for  him  to  give,  sanctifying  his  devotion  to  duty  with 
his  blood  upon  the  altar  of  its  cause. 

In  his  declining  years  he  carried  along  with  him  the  tender  love  of  his  sur- 
viving comrades  and  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens;  and  after  an  eventful 
life  covering  a period  of  seventy-six  years,  he  passed  from  among  them  and  was 
laid  peacefully  to  rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Magnolia. 


SUMMIT  RIFLES. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1861,  the  Summit  Rifles  were  organized 
and  mustered  into  the  State  service  by  R.  W.  Bowen,  in  the  town  of 
Summit. 

The  following  is  the  muster  roll  of  that  company  as  originally 


formed  and  afterwards  recruited: 

Capt.  J.  D.  Blincoe  resigned  and  did 
not  enter  service  with  company. 

1 E.  H.  Murphy,  1st  Lieut.,  pro- 

moted to  Captain,  died  at  War- 
ren ton,  Va. 

2 L.  R.  Austin,  2nd  Lieut.,  pro- 

moted to  Captain,  mortally 
wounded  at  Sharpsburg  or  An- 
tietam,  Md. 

3 P.  H.  Thorpe,  3rd  Lieut.,  trans- 

ferred to  Kentucky  regiment. 

4 C.  H.  Lyster,  1st  Sergt. 

5 D.  B.  Packer,  2nd  Sergt. 

6 George  Ernst,  3rd  Sergt. 


7  4th  Sergt.,  vacant. 

7 T.  J.  Casey,  5th  Sergt.,  killed  at 

Weldon  Railroad,  Va. 

8 H.  Lotterhos,  1st  Corp. 

9 2nd  Corp.,  vacant. 

10  Thomas  D.  Day,  3rd  Corp., 

wounded,  lost  leg. 

11  Henry  Bonner,  4th  Corp. 

12  Algenon  S.  Mitchell,  Ensign, 

killed  at  Bulls  Bluff,  on  James 
River,  in  fight  three  days  after 
Lee’s  surrender. 

13  B.  T.  Gatlin,  C Guard. 

14  S.  D.  Autie,  C Guard. 


15  Andrews,  Robert 

16  Adams,  J.  O. 

17  Burk,  M. 

18  Byrd,  James 

19  Byrd,  George  W. 


PRIVATES. 


20 

21 


Black,  Elisha,  (killed.) 

Brown,  James,  (promoted  to  Cap- 
tain, killed  at  Malvern  Hill, 
Va.). 

Bales,  Jesse 


22 


184 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


SUMMIT  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


23  Boyd,  Tames,  (killed). 

24  Clarke,  A.  S. 

25  Conlon,  T.  M. 

26  Connelly,  P. 

27  Collins,  W.  G.,  Captain,  (resign- 

ed). 

28  Carruth,  John  P. 

29  Coon,  W.  C. 

30  Coon,  David 

31  Coon,  J.  C. 

32  Coon,  Louis 

33  Cole,  Wash,  (killed). 

34  Collins,  Calvin 

35  Coffin,  Sam  T.,  (ex-Nicarauga 

soldier,  under  Walker). 

36  Cook,  C.  P. 

37  Carter,  J.  M. 

38  Crocket,  Joe,  (killed). 

39  Conden,  Enos 

40  Cummings,  Charlie 

41  Carter,  Henry 

42  Carter,  Daniel 

43  Dick,  Isaac  C.,  (severely  wounded 

at  Cold  Harbor;  subsequently 
transferred  to  the  Washington 
Artillery,  of  New  Orleans,  La. 
At  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor  he 
was  color  bearer  of  the  Sixteenth 
Mississippi  and  was  shot  down 
in  the-  charge  made  on  the  Penn- 
sylvania Bucktails,  who  were 
routed  and  driven  from  the  field. 

44  Dunker,  Henry 

45  Dawling,  W.  M. 

46  Dixon,  James  D. 

47  Delaughter,  Warren 

48  Dick,  Benj 

49  Delaney,  Ned,  (killed). 

50  Denman,  W.  C.,  (killed). 

51  Davis,  Charles 

52  Ezell,  Roulst 

53  Farnham,  John  D. 

54  Farrell,  David 

55  Folts,  Henry 


56  Felder,  Hansford 

57  Fronthall,  Louis 

58  Forester,  C.  H. 

59  Fonden,  Anderson 

60  Ferguson,  James  M.,  (transferred. 

See  Stockdale’s  Cavalry,  Capt. 
Hoover). 

61  Gamer,  Thos.  A.,  (wounded;  last 

captain  of  company). 

62  Gunnels,  N.  R. 

63  Gatlin,  Thos.  I.,  (died). 

64  Gatlin,  E.  H.,  (mortally  wounded; 

was  captured  at  Bloody  Angle, 
Spottsylvania  C.  H.,  Va.,  May 
12,  1864). 

65  Gerald,  A.  G.,  (killed). 

66  Gibson,  Ralph,  (wounded;  ex- vet- 

eran First  Mississippi,  under 
Jefferson  Davis,  in  war  with 
Mexico;  severely  wounded  at 
Hazle  River,  Va.). 

67  Huckaby,  James,  (died). 

68  Hales,  D.  F.,  (killed). 

69  Hoover,  Christian,  (wounded;  see 

Stockdale’s  Cavalry — captain). 

70  Hiller,  Nathan 

71  Hammond,  W.  C. 

72  Harris,  R.  G. 

73  Hooter,  David 

74  Hill,  I.  I. 

75  Holloway,  V.  M.,  (killed). 

76  Holmes,  Crawford 

77  Hart,  Pincus 

78  Hart,  Morris 

79  Hart,  Nathan 

80  Kruse,  Charlie,  (died). 

81  Kennedy,  T.  E. 

82  Louden,  Andrew 

83  Lenoir,  John  G.,  (killed). 

84  Lanagan,  Dan,  (killed). 

85  Lotterhos,  Fred 

86  Lewis,  Martin,  (from  Quitman 

Guards). 

87  Lenoir,  D.  C.,  (died). 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


185 


SUMMIT  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


88  Lea,  Willie,  (died). 

89  Moise,  I. 

90  Mogan,  Edward 

91  McCloy,  S.  W. 

92  Monaghan,  James 

93  Maples,  John  H. 

94  Miller,  Charles 

95  McGowan,  Pat  C. 

96  Maples,  Erastus 

97  Maxie,  James  L.,  (killed). 

98  Montgomery,  W.  H. 

99  Murphy,  Pete,  (killed). 

100  McClosky,  Dan 

10 1 McColgin,  M. 

102  Miller,  George,  (killed). 

103  McDavid,  W.  A. 

104  Montgomery,  William 

105  Moak,  A. 

106  Newsom,  James  M.,  (died). 

107  Newman, , from  Chatawa. 

108  Nall,  Mike,  (wounded). 

109  Neeley,  J.  M.,  (killed). 

no  O’Callahan,  Baldwin  (Bun). 


in  Peterson,  C.  S. 

1 12  Rodgers,  C. 

1 13  Rodgers,  R.  W. 

1 14  Spicer,  John  Y. 

115  Sipple,  L. 

1 16  Scherck,  Louis 

11 7 Shaw,  G.  M. 

1 18  Standard,  Geo.  W.,  (wounded). 

1 19  Turner,  A.  S.,  (wounded). 

120  Tunison,  Edward 

1 21  Taylor,  D.  C. 

122  Wadsworth,  W.  M.,  (killed). 

123  Westrope,  D.  C. 

124  Watts,  Arthur  T.,  (from  Quitman 

Guards;  lieutenant). 

125  Wagoner,  Louis,  (originator  of  the 

word”  bulldose,”  “bulldozer,” 
“bulldoozer,”  as  applied  to  that 
organization). 

126  Westbrook,  J.  B. 

127  Weil,  Meyer 

128  Wells,  Columbus 


The  Summit  Rifles  was  designated  as  Co.  A,  16th  Mississippi,  and 
the  Quitman  Guards  Co.  E,  of  the  16th  Mississippi  Regiment. 

Their  first  colonel  was  Carnot  Posey,  Captain  of  the  Wilkinson 
Rifles,  afterward  Brigadier  General  of  the  12th,  19th,  16th  and  48th 
Regiments,  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Bristoe  Station,  Vir- 
ginia, October  14,  1863,  General  Posey  commanded  this  brigade 
in  the  center  of  Lee’s  line  against  a brigade  of  United  States  regulars 
at  the  battle  of  Sharpsburg,  (Antietam)  Maryland,  September  17,  1862. 
The  brigade  Was  then  under  Gen.  W.  S.  Featherston,  who  had  been 
wounded  at  Richmond. 

The  second  colonel  of  the  16th  Mississippi,  was  Samuel  E.  Baker, 
of  the  Adams  Light  Guards,  from  Natchez.  He  and  Lieut.  Col.  A. 
M.  Feltus,  of  the  Wilkinson  Rifles,  were  both  killed  in  the  fight  at 
“Bloody  Angle”  or  “Blood  Bend”  at  Spottsylvania,  C.  H.,  Virginia, 
in  retaking  Lee’s  works  captured  by  the  enemy  May  12,  1864. 


186 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  third  colonel  was  Capt.  Council  of  the  Adams  Light  Guards, 
from  Natchez. 

The  fourth  and  last  colonel  was  Seneca  McNeil  Bain,  of  the  Quit- 
man  Guards.  Col.  Bain  survived  the  war,  graduated  in  medicine 
and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  as  a practicing  physician  in  Texas. 

The  Summit  Rifles  and  Quitman  Guards  with  their  regiment, 
participated  in  the  following  campaigns  and  battles:  Front  Royal, 

Virginia,  May  24th,  and  Winchester,  Virginia,  May  25th,  1862,  under 
Ewell  and  Stonewall  Jackson,  against  N.  P.  Banks,  in  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley;  and  Jackson’s  and  Ewell’s  celebrated  retreat  from 
Harpers  Ferry,  after  driving  Bank’s  forces  out  of  Virginia,  eluding 
the  junction  of  Fremont  and  Shields  to  intercept  them  at  Strasburg. 

Cross  Key,  Va.,  June  8,  1862. 

Mechanicsville,  Va.,  June  26,  1862. 

Cold  Harbor,  Va.,  June  27,  1862. 

Malvern  Hill  to  the  close  of  the  seven  days  battles  before  Rich- 
mond against  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan. 

The  Maryland  Campaign. 

Second  battle  of  Manassas,  Aug.  30,  1862,  against  the  Union 
forces  commanded  by  Gen.  Pope. 

Siege  of  Harpers  Ferry,  Va.,  where  the  Union  General  Miles  was 
forced  to  surrender  with  eleven  thousand  men. 

Battle  of  Sharpsburg  (Antietam),  Maryland,  against  the  army 
of  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan,  Sept.  17,  1862. 

Hazle  River,  with  the  10th  Alabama,  in  support  of  Gen.  J.  E.  B. 
Stuart’s  cavalry,  November  10,  1862. 

Battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  against  the  forces  of  Gen.  Bum- 
side.  Featherston’s  brigade  was  stationed  immediately  in  front  of 
the  town  where  the  heaviest  and  most  desperate  assaults  of  the  enemy 
were  made  by  the  “Red  Shirt  Zouaves,”  who  were  successfully 
beaten  with  great  slaughter  by  the  Mississippians.  This  battle  be- 
gan on  the  nth  and  closed  on  the  14th  of  December,  1862.  After 
this  battle  Col.  Posey  was  promoted  to  Brigadier  and  put  in  com- 
mand of  the  brigade,  Gen.  Featherston  being  sent  to  the  department 
of  Mississippi,  Alabama  and  East  Louisiana. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


187 


Battle  of  Chancellors,  Va.,  May  ist,  2nd,  and  3rd,  against  Gen. 
Joe  Hooker,  who  succeeded  Gen.  Burnside,  and  whose  army  was 
completely  routed. 

The  Pennsylvania  Campaign,  battle  of  Gettysburg,  July  ist,  2nd 
and  3rd,  1863. 

Battle  of  Bristoe  Station,  October  14,  1863,  where  Gen.  Posey 
was  mortally  wounded. 

Battle  of  Mine  Run,  Va.,  against  Gen.  Meade,  November  30th 
and  December  ist,  1863. 

Campaign  of  1864  and  1865.  Battle  of  the  Wilderness,  May  5th 
and  6th,  1864,  against  the  Union  forces  under  Gen.  Grant. 

Shady  Grove,  May  8,  1864. 

Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Va.,  9th,  10th,  nth  and  12th  of  May, 
1864.  In  this  battle  the  brigade  was  commanded  by  Gen.  Nathaniel 
H.  Harris,  colonel  of  the  19th  Mississippi,  who  succeeded  Gen.  Posey, 
and  was  one  of  the  brigades  selected  by  General  Lee  to  retake  his 
lost  works  on  the  12th  of  May,  which  had  been  captured  by  the 
enemy.  Subsequently  at  Richmond,  Va.,  Gen.  R.  S.  Ewell  wrote 
General  Harris  the  following  letter: 

Headquarters  Department  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Dec.  27,  1864. 
Gen.  N.  H.  Harris, 

Commanding  Brigade  General. 

I have  omitted  to  acknowledge  the  valuable  services  rendered  by  your 
brigade  on  the  12th  of  May  instant,  at  Spottsylvania,  not  from  any  want  of 
appreciation,  but  because  I want  my  thanks  to  rest  upon  the  solid  foundation 
of  official  reports.  The  manner  in  which  your  brigade  charged  over  the  hills 
to  recapture  our  works  was  witnessed  by  me  with  intense  admiration  for  men 
who  could  advance  so  calmly  to  what  seemed  and  was  almost  certain  death. 
I have  never  seen  troops  under  a hotter  fire  than  was  endured  on  this  day  by 
your  brigade  and  some  others.  Major  General  Edward  Johnston,  since  his 
exchange,  has  assured  me  that  the  whole  strength  of  the  enemy’s  army  was 
poured  into  the  gap  caused  by  the  capture  of  his  command.  He  estimates  the 
force  engaged  at  this  place,  on  their  side,  at  forty  thousand,  besides  Bimey’s 
command  of  perfectly  fresh  troops.  Prisoners  from  all  of  their  corps  were 
taken  by  us.  Two  divisions  of  my  corps — your  brigade  and  two  others  (one 
of  which  was  scarcely  engaged) — confronted  successfully  this  immense  host, 
and  not  only  won  from  them  nearly  all  the  ground  they  had  gained,  but  so 


188 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


shattered  their  army  that  they  were  unable  again  to  make  a serious  attack 
until  they  received  fresh  troops.  I have  not  forgotten  the  conduct  of  the 
Sixteenth  Mississippi  Regiment,  while  under  my  command,  from  Front  Royal 
to  Malvern  Hill.  I am  glad  to  see,  from  a tidal  more  severe  than  any  experienced 
while  in  my  division,  that  the  regiment  is  in  a brigade  of  which  it  may  well  be 
proud.  Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

(Signed)  R.  S.  Ewell, 
Lieutenant  General. 


In  this  battle  the  16th  Mississippi  colors  were  perforated  by  over 
two  hundred  and  fifty  bullets.  Alexander  R.  Mixon  of  the  Quitman 
Guards,  promoted  to  the  rank  of  ensign,  bearing  the  battle  flag  when 
they  retook  our  works,  waived  it  in  the  faces  of  the  enemy  and  died 
on  the  breastworks  an  American  soldier  and  a Mississippi  hero. 
From  this  time  to  the  investment  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  and 
up  to  the  surrender  of  General  Lee  at  Appomattox  Court  House  on 
the  9th  of  April,  1865,  the  army  of  Northern  Virginia,  under  Lee, 
and  the  army  of  the  Potomac,  under  Grant,  confronted  each  other 
in  line  of  battle.  They  fought  at  Hanover  Junction  on  the  24th  of 
May,  1864. 

At  Cold  Harbor  on  the  3rd  of  June,  1864,  the  scene  of  the  great 
battle  in  1862. 

They  fought  at  Turkey  Ridge,  June  6th,  1864.  On  the  18th  of 
June,  1864,  they  were  put  in  the  trenches  at  Petersburg. 

In  July  they  were  taken  out  of  the  trenches,  made  a force  march 
to  Lee’s  right  and  whipped  the  enemy  at  the  Davis  House,  near  the 
Weldon  Railroad,  and  then  returned  to  the  trenches. 

On  the  17th  of  August,  they  were  again  taken  out  of  the  trenches, 
went  to  Richmond  and  fought  at  New  Market,  on  the  18th. 

On  the  19th  returned  to  Petersburg,  and  on  the  21st,  engaged 
in  a fight  on  the  Weldon  Railroad.  In  this  fight  the  Quitman  Guards 
lost  two  killed  and  fourteen  captured.  After  the  battle  the  brigade 
returned  to  the  trenches  and  fought  day  and  night  until  the  12th 
of  November,  1864,  when  they  were  taken  out  and  went  into  winter 
quarters,  but  were  constantly  on  duty. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


189 


They  fought  at  Hatcher’s  Run  on  the  5th  and  6th  of  February, 
1865,  where  they  defeated  an  attempt  to  turn  Lee’s  right. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  they  held  the  position  vacated  by  Picket’s 
Division  between  the  Appomattox  and  the  James  Rivers. 

When  Sheridan  began  serious  demonstrations  on  Richmond,  they 
were  sent  to  the  aid  of  Stuart’s  and  Causey’s  Virginia  brigades  and 
defeated  his  movements  and  then  returned  to  their  position  between 
the  Appomattox  and  the  James,  remaining  there  until  the  2nd  of 
April,  when  they  were  ordered  to  the  right  of  Petersburg  to  reinforce 
troops  who  had  lost  their  Works  and  immediately  went  into  action, 
but  were  compelled  to  retire  before  overwhelming  numbers  until 
the  remnants  of  the  16th  and  12th  not  killed,  wounded  or  captured, 
took  refuge  in  Fort  Gregg,  where  they  made  a stand  and  fought 
with  their  usual  desperate  determination.  A correspondent  of  the 
London  Fortnightly  Review,  who  Was  with  Lee’s  army  at  the  time, 
published  the  following  article  in  reference  to  this  struggle,  putting  the 
number  of  Mississippians  in  the  fort  at  250,  while  many  of  the  survivors 
say  there  were  not  over  125,  as  the  19th  and  48th  regiments  under 
General  Harris  made  their  escape,  and  the  troops  in  Fort  Gregg  were 
of  the  12th  and  16th  regiments  with  a few  artillerists. 

This  correspondent  says: 

"The  officer  in  command  of  Fort  Alexander,  which  was  fartherest 
away  from  the  oncoming  Federals,  deemed  it  more  important  to 
save  his  guns  than  to  try  and  help  Fort  Gregg.  Receiving  no  assist- 
ance from  its  twin  brother,  Fort  Gregg,  manned  by  Harris’  Missis- 
sippi brigade,  numbering  250  undaunted  men,  breasted  intrepidly 
the  tide  of  its  multitudinous  assailants.  Three  times  Gibbon’s  Corps 
surged  up  and  around  the  works — three  times,  with  dreadful  car- 
nage, they  were  driven  back.  I am  told  that  it  was  subsequently 
admitted  by  General  Gibbon,  that  in  carrying  Fort  Gregg  he  lost 
five  or  six  hundred  men,  or  in  other  words,  that  each  Mississippian 
inside  the  works  struck  down  at  least  two  assailants.  When  at  last 
the  works  Were  carried,  there  remained  out  of  its  250  defenders  but 
thirty  survivors.  In  those  nine  memorable  days  there  was  not 
an  episode  more  glorious  to  the  Confederate  Army  than  the  heroic 


190  HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 

self-immolation  of  the  Mississippians  in  Fort  Gregg,  to  gain  time  for 
their  comrades.” 

In  this  episode  Pike  County’s  name  became  glorified  in  the  names  of 
Robert  D.  Stovall  and  Wm.  L.  Sparkman,  of  the  Quitman  Guards, 
who  sealed  their  devotion  with  their  lives  in  the  last  grand  struggle 
that  marked  the  closing  end  of  the  Confederacy.  Col.  Bain  had  been 
captured  and  Lieut.  Col.  Duncan,  commanding  the  16th,  was  severely 
wounded.  Capt.  Applewhite,  of  the  12th  Mississippi,  was  next  in 
command,  and  he  and  the  following  are  present  survivors:  Buxton 

R.  Conerly,  Wm.  F.  Standifer,  Bright  Wil- 
liams, Sam  Howell,  Joe  Thompson. 

The  Summit  Rifles  were  especially  un- 
fortunate in  the  loss  of  officers.  J.  D.  Blinco, 
who  organized  the  company,  resigned  soon 
after.  H.  E.  Murphy  died  at  Warrington 
Springs,  Va.,  in  the  winter  of  1861-62,  of 
consumption.  James  Brown,  one  of  the 
most  daring  scouts  in  Lee’s  army,  was  killed 
at  Malvern  Hill  (seven  days  battle  before 
Richmond,  1862).  It  was  ordered  that  the 
Summit  Riffles,  under  his  leadership,  be 
mounted  as  scouts,  but  his  death  prevented 
it.  Louis  R.  Austin,  another  gallant  young 
officer,  was  mortally  wounded  in  the  battle 
of  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  September  17,  1862,  in 
the  desperate  encounter  of  the  Mississip- 
pians with  a brigade  of  U.  S.  Regulars  in  the  center.  Lieut.  E.  H. 
Gatlin  was  mortally  wounded  at  ‘‘Bloody  Angle,”  Spotsylvania  C.  H., 
May  12,  1864.  T.  J.  Casey,  was  killed  at  Weldon  R.  R.  Thomas  A. 
Gamer,  last  captain,  was  shot  through  the  cheeks  and  nose  but  lived 
many  years  after  the  war. 

May  1,  1 86 x,  the  Bogue  Chitto  Guai'dswere  organized  and  mustered 
in  by  Robert  J.  Bowen,  with  the  following  original  officers  and  men: 


Capt.  Thomas  J.  Connally 
Bogue  Chitto  Guards 


1 R.  S.  Carter,  Captain. 

2 Thomas  J.  Connally,  1st  Lieut. 


3 Joseph  Hart,  2nd  Lieut. 

4 G.  A.  Bilbo,  3rd  Lieut. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


191 


PRIVATES. 


5 Albrittan,  R.  R. 

29 

Hodges,  John  C. 

6 Albrittain,  John  M. 

30 

Hall,  Thomas  J. 

7 Brister,  J.  Milton 

31 

Howell,  James  H. 

8 Bisbee,  C.  M. 

32 

Harrington,  H.  F.  M. 

9 Buett,  Joseph 

33 

Johnson,  A.  B. 

10  Buett,  Thomas 

34 

Kinneally,  Thomas 

11  Bount,  A.  A. 

35 

Kazza,  James  W. 

12  Brown,  Robert  M. 

36 

Martin,  James  M. 

13  Brown,  J.  0. 

37 

Netherland,  T.  L. 

14  Buster,  John 

38 

Newman,  Jasper 

15  Crosby,  Thomas 

39 

Price,  Uriah 

16  Courtney,  B.  F. 

40 

Prestridge,  W.  P. 

1 7 Coon,  Samuel 

41 

Price,  William 

18  Gill,  T.  H. 

42 

Prestridge,  Zachariah 

19  Givin,  W.  J. 

43 

Price,  H.  H. 

20  Gill,  John  J. 

44 

Richardson,  Martin 

21  Gill,  John  A. 

45 

Rawls,  Jesse 

22  Hart,  I.  M. 

46 

Saper,  Stephen 

23  Hart,  John  G. 

47 

Sasser,  Joseph 

24  Hart,  H.  L. 

48 

Terrell,  Foster 

25  Hart,  I.  A. 

49 

Turner,  Francis  I. 

26  Hart,  Judge  A. 

50 

Sasser,  James  S. 

27  Hart,  James  L. 

.51 

Price,  T.  M. 

28  Hampton,  Jasper 

The  above  company  was  attached  to  the  7th  Mississippi  regiment, 
Gen.  C.  G.  Dalhgreen. 


THE  DAHLGREEN  RIFLES. 


The  Dahlgreen  Rifles  organized  on  Topisaw,  by  Capt.  Parham 
B.  Williams,  and  mustered  in  by  him  August  22,  1861,  was  also 
attached  to  the  7th  regiment  as  Co.  H,  under  Gen.  Chalmers — Cheat- 
ham’s division. 

The  following  is  the  roll  of  the  company: 


1 Parham  B.  Williams,  Captain, 

(killed  in  railroad  collision  at 
Ponchatoula,  La.) 

2 Joseph  M.  Thornhill,  1st  Lieut., 

Asst.  Surgeon. 

3 Zebulon  E.  P.  Williams,  2nd  Lieut. 


4 Jordan  B.  Williams,  3rd  Lieut.) 

(leg  broken  in  collision  at  Pon- 
chatoula, La.) 

5 Elijah  Cothem,  Ensign. 

6 Peter  J.  Felder,  1st  Sergt.,  (killed 

in  collision  at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 


192 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


THE  DAHLGREEN  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


7 John  J.  Sibley,  2nd  Sergt.,  (dis- 

charged). 

8 Wiott  Thornhill,  3rd  Sergt.,  (killed 

in  collision  at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

9 Isaiah  Greer,  4th  Sergt.,  (died). 

10  William  L.  Walker,  5th  Sergt.,  (ap- 
pointed Lieutenant). 


11  Harvey  Boyd,  1st  Corp.,  (substi- 

tuted by  Isaiah  Boyd,  wounded). 

12  F.  M.  Coglin,  2nd  Corp.,  (killed  in 

collision  at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

13  William  Dunaway,  3rd  Corp., 

(killed  near  Atlanta,  Ga.) 

14  William  W.  Gunnels,  4th  Corp. 


PRIVATES. 


15  Adams,  Joseph  P.,  (killed  in  colli- 

sion at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

16  Adams,  John 

17  Boyd,  William,  (killed  in  collision 

at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

18  Boyd,  Jeremiah 

19  Boyd,  Thomas 

20  Boyd,  Jesse 

21  Boyd,  Thomas  C. 

22  Curtis,  R.,  (killed  at  Murfreesboro, 

Tenn.) 

23  Cothem,  Joseph 

24  Cothem,  John 

25  Coon,  Craft 

26  Coker,  John  W.,  (killed  in  collision 

at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

2*7  Coon,  Louis 

28  Coker,  A.  L. 

29  Coglin,  Thos.  J.,  (killed  in  collision 

at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

30  Craft,  Jackson 

31  Coglin,  Frank 

32  Coglin,  Jasper 

33  Collins,  Joe 

34  Davis,  Aaron 

35  Davis,  Arthur 

36  Dunaway,  Asa,  (killed  in  battle  at 

Harrisburg,  Miss.) 

37  Dunaway,  Pearl,  (killed  in  collision 

at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

38  Dunaway,  Jesse  F.,  (killed  in  battle 

at  Atlanta,  Ga.) 

39  Dunaway,  Stephen,  (killed  in  bat- 

tle). 


40  Day,  Pleasant 

41  Davis,  John 

42  Dunaway,  Osburn 

43  Fortinberry,  Jack,  (transferred). 

44  Felder,  J.  Smith,  (wounded  in  colli- 

sion at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

45  Gullage,  G.  C. 

46  Greer,  Newton 

47  Greer,  Francis 

48  Hathom,  John,  (transferred). 

49  Hampton,  Jasper 

50  Hope,  Cornelius,  (wounded  in  col- 

lision at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

51  Jenkins,  Jesse 

52  Jenkins,  Bill 

53  Keen,  Daniel 

54  Keen,  Charles,  (killed  in  collision 

at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

55  Keen,  Harvey 

56  Kitt,  Harrison 

57  Morgan,  J.  H. 

58  Morgan,  William  A. 

59  McKinzie,  A.  N. 

60  McClendon,  Jack,  (discharged). 

61  Massey,  Elisha,  Jr. 

62  McGallon,  John  J. 

63  McGinty,  Joseph 

64  McDavid,  William 

65  McEwen,  Silas 

66  Leonard,  Raford 

67  Leonard,  William 

68  Leonard,  Pleasant 

69  Pollard,  John  R. 

70  Pollard,  Pleasant 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


193 


THE  DAHLGREEN  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


71  Pollard,  Raford 

72  Turpine,  John 

73  Thornhill,  Wyatt 

74  Thornhill,  J.  Martin 

75  Thornhill,  J.  Newton 

76  Thombs,  George,  (killed  in  collision 

at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

77  Wallace,  J.  B.,  (leg  broken  in  colli- 

sion at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

78  Wallace,  E.  H. 


79  Saul,  William  J. 

80  Slaven,  John,  (wounded  in  battle 

at  Shiloh,  Tenn.) 

81  Reeves,  Stephen,  (killed  in  collision 

at  Ponchatoula,  La.) 

82  Reddy,  Mike,  (killed  at  Harris- 

burg, Miss.) 

83  Rutland,  Cullen,  (died  at  Corinth, 

Miss.) 


This  company  met  with  a very  serious  accident  during  the  war 
at  Ponchatoula,  La.,  by  the  collision  of  the  train  they  were  being 
transported  on  with  another,  which  resulted  in  the  death  of  Captain 
Williams  and  several  of  his  men  and  wounding  many  others.  It 
was  charged  that  this  was  prearranged  by  persons  controlling  the 
trains  for  the  purpose  of  killing  the  men,  being  northern  men  and  in 
sympathy  with  the  Union  army.  The  engineer  and  others  made  their 
escape  and  kept  out  of  the  way  until  after  the  close  of  the  war,  else 
they  might  have  paid  the  penalty  of  their  crime. 

In  October,  1861,  the  McNair  Rifles  were  organized  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers  and  men,  attached  to  the  3rd  battalion  and  45th  Mis- 
sissippi, consolidated  as  Company  E,  Mark  P.  Lowry’s  brigade,  Army 
of  Tennessee. 


MCNAIR  RIFLES. 


1 Robert  H.  McNair,  Captain,  (pro- 

moted to  Lieut. -Col.;  killed  at 
Shiloh) . 

2 William  M.  McNulty,  1st  Lieut,  and 

Captain. 

3 James  R.  Wilson,  2nd  Lieut.,  (re- 

signed) . 

4 Isaac  Scherck,  3rd  Lieut. 

5 Rialdo  Downer,  1st  Sergt.,  (mor- 

tally wounded  at  Shiloh,  Tenn.) 

6 James  B.  Martin,  2nd  Sergt. 

7 John  H.  Thompson,  3rd  Sergt.,  (af- 

terwards Captain ; mortally 
wounded  at  Chickamauga.) 

8 Robert  Brown,  4th  Sergt. 

13 


9  Dr.  Busby,  1st  Corp. 

10  Clint  J.  Martin,  2nd  Corp. 

11  Alf  A.  Boyd,  4th  Corp.,  (last  Cap- 

tain of  company). 

12  M.  M.  Murray,  1st  Lieut.,  (close  of 

war).  " 

13  Samuel  E.  McNulty,  2nd  Lieut., 

(close  of  war) . 

14  Dr.  Boyer,  Hospital  Steward. 

15  O.  V.  Shurtliff,  Asst.  Surgeon 

16  Austin  Hooker 

1 7 Andrews,  Robert 

18  Byrd,  Charlie,  (died  at  Chicago, 

111.,  in  prison). 


194 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


MCNAIR  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


Capt.  A.  A.  Boyd 
McNair  Rifles 


19  Brown,  Newton  M.,  (killed  at  Chic- 

31 

Canter,  W.  D.,  (died  at  Shiloh). 

f'amauga,  Ga.) 

32 

Cornwall,  F.  M.,  (killed  at  Atlanta, 

20  Boyd,  William 

Ga.) 

21  Borosky,  Julius 

33 

Clark,  Herbert 

22  Browm,  Asa 

34 

Chamberlin,  Silas 

23  Bigner,  William 

35 

Cosgrove,  Thomas 

24  Bridges,  C.  B. 

36 

Clarke,  Thomas,  (died  at  Bowling 

25  Causey,  I.  L.,  (died  in  prison  at 

Green,  Ky.) 

Camp  Chase). 

37 

Clark,  Jessee 

26  Carroll,  James,  (died  at  Triune, 

38 

Dunica,  Leon 

Tenn.) 

39 

Dunica,  George 

27  Carruth,  J.  E.,  (prisoner  at  Camp 

40 

Daunis,  A.  J. 

Douglas). 

41 

Dawson,  D.  A. 

28  Carruth,  Robert  M.,  (wounded  at 

42 

Day,  Dave,  (discharged). 

Lovejoy,  Ga.) 

43 

Ezell,  Tom 

29  Cutrer,  Newt. 

44 

Flood,  Martin,  (prisoner  at  Camp 

30  Carruth,  James  B.,  (killed  at  Shi- 

Douglas). 

loh). 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


195 


MCNAIR  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


45  Flowers,  John  H.,(disch’d,  overage) 

46  Gardner,  Seaborne 

47  Gammon,  Alex. 

48  Gatlin,  Elbert 

49  Gatlin,  Pinkney 

50  Gotowsky, 

51  Hyman,  Sam 

52  Hales,  T.  Benton 

53  Hoover,  Charles 

54  Hodges,  Sam  J. 

55  Hilborn,  Benj. 

56  Harvey,  William,  (wounded  at 

Lovejoy,  Ga.) 

57  Hamil,  Hugh  J. 

58  Johnston,  William  B. 

59  Kinebrew,  L.  M. 

60  Keen,  John 

61  Keen,  F.  M. 

62  Keen,  Cal  L. 

63  Keen,  W.  H.,  (killed  at  Franklin, 

Tenn.) 

64  Latham,  John  P. 

65  Latham,  Nimrod 

66  Martin,  Frank  M.,  (prisoner  at 

Camp  Douglas). 

67  Martin,  W.  G.,  (died  at  Murfrees- 

boro, Tenn.) 

68  Miller,  Poley 

69  McGehee,  Dunk,  (mortally  wound- 

ed at  Shiloh). 

70  Moak,  Martin  M. 

71  McNulty,  Hugh,  (killed  at  Frank- 

lin, Tenn.) 

72  McGehee,  William 

73  McKeating,  William 

74  Mason,  M.  M. 

75  McComb,  Ephraim 

76  Ott,  Frank  M. 

77  Pitman,  Hardy 

78  Powell,  Abner  D. 

79  Powell,  James  (transferred). 

80  Pitman,  John 

81  Roundtree,  Starling  (mortally 

wounded  at  Shiloh). 


82  Reeves,  Thomas  (killed  at  Shiloh). 

83  Richmond,  A. 

84  Richmond,  

85  Simmons,  Riddick 

86  Steel,  Jarvis  (killed  at  Shiloh). 

87  Smith,  C.  B.,  from  Catahoula,  La. 

(died  at  Shiloh). 

88  Stevens,  C.  K. 

89  Schreck,  Louis. 

90  Standard,  Geo.  (wounded). 

91  Sharp,  John 

92  Sublett,  T.  J. 

93  Turner,  Wm.  H. 

94  Turner,  Louis  M.  (killed  at  Jones- 

borough,  Ga.) 

95  Turner,  Joseph,  from  Wilkinson 

Co.,  (killed  at  Franklin,  Tenn). 

96  Thompson,  Silas  (son  of  Hardy). 

97  Thompson,  Hugh  (son  of  Hardy). 

98  Terrell,  Wm.,  (killed  at  Ringold 

Gap,  Ga.) 

99  Travis,  W.  J. 

100  Terry,  Benj. 
ici  Turner,  Henry  W. 

102  Vamado,  Felix 

103  Vamado,  Meredith 

104  Wilson,  Murdock 

105  Wilkinson,  R.  B. 

106  Wilkinson,  S.  C. 

107  Williams,  Jackson  (son  of  Meyer 

Williams). 

108  Williams,  James  (son  of  Meyer 

Williams). 

109  Westrope,  D.  L.  (mortally  wound- 

ed at  Perry ville,  Tenn.) 
no  Williams,  James  (son  of  Sam, 
died  in  service). 

in  Woodall,  Hezekiah  (killed  at 
Shiloh). 

1 12  White,  Emmet  A. 

1 13  Woodall,  Joe  (died  in  service). 

1 14  Wilson,  Jasper 

115  Quin,  John  H. 


196 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  author  is  indebted  to  Mr.  Enoch  Carruth,  of  Auburn,  Lin- 
coln County,  for  the  entire  memoranda  of  the  above  company  given 
him  from  memory  in  1902.  It  is  not  of  record  in  the  department  of 
Archives  and  History,  nor  in  the  war  department. 

After  the  organization  of  the  McNair  Rifles,  the  people  of  Summit 
assembled  at  the  Presbyterian  Church,  October  3rd,  1861,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Soldier’s  Friend  Society,  with  Rev.  Mrs.  William 

Hoover,  president,  who  was  attended  by  the 
vice-presidents,  Mrs.  Phoebe  Whitehead, 
Mrs.  Dr.  William  Bacot,  Mrs.  Dr.  John  Huff- 
man, Mrs.  Helen  Gracey  and  Miss  Hattie 
Wicker,  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  a camp 
Bible  to  the  company.  Rev.  D.  W.  Dillehay 
lead  in  prayer  and  Captain  McNair  introduced 
Rev.  Mrs.  Hoover,  delegated  by  the  society, 
to  present  the  Bible,  which  she  did.  the  Bible 
being  received  by  William  McNulty,  subse- 
quently captain,  on  the  part  of  the  company. 

CAPTAIN  m’nAIR. 

Capt.  McNair  was  born  in  the  city  of  New 
Orleans.  He  married  Miss  Columbia  Sarah  Sydnor, 
daughter  of  Col.  Sydnor,  a wealthy  merchant  of 
Galveston,  Texas,  who  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
loveliest  and  most  beautiful  women  that  ever  lived 
in  Pike  County. 

Capt.  McNair  taught  school  in  New  Orleans, 
and  was  for  a time  Superintendent  of  Education 
in  that  city.  He  also  taught  in  Amite  City,  and 
was  induced  by  Col.  Garland  to  settle  in  Summit. 
Here  he  erected  a handsome  college  building 
east  of  the  railroad,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  one  of  the  students 
was  lost  in  the  conflagration.  He  rebuilt  on  a small  scale,  intending  to  erect 
a more  handsome  building  than  the  first,  but,  the  war  coming  on,  he  went  into 
the  army.  He  organized  the  company  which  bore  his  name,  and  on  the  9th  of 
November,  1861,  left  the  town  of  Summit,  via  Natchez,  for  New  Orleans,  where 
they  were  mustered  into  the  Confederate  States’  service  and  became  attached 
to  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  then  under  command  of  General  Albert  Sidney 
Johnston.  He  was  promoted  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  45th  Mississippi 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


197 


Regiment,  and  was  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  at  the  same  time 
his  illustrious  chief  fell,  crowned  with  the  glorious  victory  over  the  superior 
forces  of  the  enemy  under  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant,  the  6th  of  April,  1862.  Col.  McNair 
was  a man  of  superior  mold  and  his  intellect  was  cultivated  up  to  the  highest 
standard,  and  his  friends  claimed  that  it  was  like  an  inspiration  to  be  in  his 
presence.  He  was  cut  down  in  life  at  a time  when  he  had  attained  qualifica- 
tions for  the  highest  usefulness. 

He  died  in  the  arms  of  Benjamin  Hilbum,  in  the  town  of  Corinth,  where  he 
was  sent  after  he  was  wounded. 

“Tell  my  wife  that  God  will  protect  her,”  was  a portion  of  his  dying  mes- 
sage. 


Col.  Preston  Brent 
Brent  Rifles, 

Lt.  Col.  38th  Mississippi 


BRENT  RIFLES. 


The  Brent  Rifles,  38th  Mississippi  Regiment,  was  organized  on 
the  26th  day  of  April,  1862,  by  Capt.  Preston  Brent,  in  the  town  of 
Holmesville,  with  the  following  officers  and  men : 


1 Preston  Brent,  Captain  (subse- 

quently Lieutenant-Colonel). 

2 Henry  S.  Brumfield,  1st  Lieut. 

3 David  C.  Walker,  2nd  Lieut. 

4 J.  Cy  Williams,  3rd  Lieut. 


8 Andrews,  Jack 

9 Alexander,  Henry 

10  Alexander,  Daniel  (wounded). 


5 Wm.  E.  Brent,  1st  Sergt. 

6 Jesse  K.  Brumfield,  2nd  Sergt. 

(wounded). 

7 W.  H.  H.  Brumfield,  «3rd  Sergt. 

(wounded). 


PRIVATES. 

11  Andrews,  F.  G. 

12  Andrews,  James. 

13  Andrews,  Mack 


198 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


BRENT  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


14  Allen,  William 

15  Brumfield,  Elisha 

16  Ball,  Sampson  E. 

1 7 Bullock,  Joel  J. 

18  Bickham,  T.  D. 

19  Brumfield,  W.  N. 

20  Blunt,  S.  S. 

21  Burkhalter,  J.  Flem  (wounded  at 

Shiloh). 

22  Brown,  Wm. 

23  Boyd,  W.  D. 

24  Bacot,  Levi. 

25  Boyd,  Benjamin 

26  Boyd,  Jefferson 

27  Boyd,  Jasper 

28  Boyd,  Newton 

29  Beard,  Thomas 

30  Brumfield,  Wm.  Monroe 

31  Brumfield,  John 

32  Blunt,  James 

33  Blunt,  Balas 

34  Brumfield,  Jackson 

33  Boyd,  Andrew  (killed  April,  1862, 
at  Shiloh). 

36  Ball,  John  Ira 

37  Ball,  Jesse  W.,  Captain  (killed  at 

Harrisburg,  Miss.) 

38  Brumfield,  Geo.  W. 

39  Beard,  C.  D. 

40  Breland,  Elisha 

41  Breland,  Hillary 

42  Coney,  D.  Aquila 

43  Conerly,  John  M.  (wounded). 

44  Cavanaugh,  J.  N. 

45  Clarke,  John 

46  Douglas,  A.  N. 

47  Dillon,  Clarke 

48  Dilloft,  Willis  R.  (killed  1862  at 

Shiloh). 

49  Dillon,  W.  R. 

50  Dillon,  Chauncey 

51  Davis,  Z.  T. 

52  Green,  John 

53  Ginn,  Haverson 


54  Hickman,  Joshua 

55  Holmes,  Wm.  Dort 

56  Holmes,  J.  N.  (wounded). 

57  Holmes,  Frank 

58  Harvey,  Henry 

59  Holmes,  Jackson 

60  Hickman,  Nitey 

61  Irvin,  Jack 

62  Jones,  Milton 

63  Jones,  W.  T. 

64  Lampton,  Alexander  Frank 

65  Lampton,  James  (killed). 

66  McEwin,  Archie 

67  McEwin,  John 

68  McCullough,  Jasper 

69  Magee,  Irvin 

70  Morris,  Martin 

71  Morris,  Offie 

72  McCalem,  Simon 

73  Magee,  Fleet 

74  Owens,  W.  R. 

75  Parker,  William  (wounded). 

76  Payne,  Ed. 

77  Payne,  N.  R. 

78  Payne,  Albert 

79  Pigot,  Wm. 

80  Pigot,  Ellis 

81  Pigot,  Charles 

82  Pierce,  Ed. 

83  Page,  Josiah  W. 

84  Pound,  Daniel  M. 

85  Pinkerton,  Sam 

86  Quin,  J.  C. 

87  Rollins,  Chris. 

88  Reeves,  Joe 

89  Smith,  A.  H.  M. 

90  Smith,  Winston 

91  Smith,  Benton. 

92  Smith,  Jasper  N. 

93  Smith,  J.  R. 

94  Smith,  Ansel 

95  Smith,  G.  W. 

96  Sartin,  Wesley 

97  Sartin,  Leander 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


199 


BRENT  RIFLES CONTINUED. 


98  Sartin,  James 

99  Sartin,  Gus 

100  Sartin,  Robert 

10 1 Sandifer,  Wm.  (wounded). 

102  Sandifer,  John 

103  Sandifer,  Peter 

104  Sandifer,  R.  P. 

105  Sandifer,  Billie 

106  Sandifer,  Carroll 

107  Stovall,  Wm. 

108  Stalling,  John 

109  Simmons,  J.  D. 
no  Simmons,  John 

in  Simmons,  B.  F.  (killed). 


1 12  Simmons,  J.  M. 

1 13  Smith,  Ralph 

1 14  Thornhill,  H.  C. 

1 15  Thornhill,  Isham 

1 16  Thornhill,  James 

117  Walters,  Newton 

1 18  Walters,  Pearl 

1 19  Williams,  Bose 

120  Williams,  Hamp 

1 21  Williams,  Ruben 

122  Williams,  S.  C.  (wounded  at 

Shiloh). 

123  Williams,  Mac 


In  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Col.  Preston  Brent  was  severely  wounded 
in  the  face. 

Lieut.  Jesse  Ball  and  W.  H.  H.  Brumfield  were  wounded  and  B. 
Frank  Simmons  killed. 

At  Harrisburg,  Lieut.  Jesse  Ball  and  James  Lampton  were  killed, 
and  Capt.  J.  C.  Williams,  Sergt.  J.  K.  Brumfield,  Daniel  Alexander, 
John  M.  Conerly,  J.  N.  Holmes,  J.  F.  Holmes,  William  Parker,  Wm. 
Sandifer  and  one  other were  wounded. 

Thirteen  of  this  company  went  into  the  fight  at  Harrisburg  and 
came  out  with  two  unhurt. 

The  same  month  and  year,  April,  1862,  Nash’s  Company  was 
organized  in  Magnolia.  This  company  was  commanded  by  William 
Monroe  Quin,  and  was  attached  to  Colonel  Shelby’s  39th  Missis- 
sippi regiment  of  the  Tennessee  army.  This  is  another  one  of  Pike 
County  companies  that  served  in  the  Confederate  army  and  did 
gallant  service,  which  is  not  of  record  in  the  department  of  Archives 
and  History. 

The  writer  is  indebted  to  the  extraordinary  memory  of  the  Spinks 
Brothers,  sons-in-law  of  Wm.  Guy,  for  the  entire  list  of  names. 
Making  it  a special  trip  and  a special  business  he  stopped  over  night 
with  them  and  thus  procured  them. 


200 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Nash’s  Company,  39th  Mississippi,  Tennessee  Army,  Colonel 
Shelby,  Capt.  Wm.  Monroe  Quin. 

This  company  was  organized  in  Magnolia,  April,  1862,  with  the 
following  officers  and  men : 

nash’s  company. 


1 Wm.  Monroe  Quin,  Captain 

2 J.  A.  Nash,  1st  Lieut. 

3 J.  W.  Sandell,  2nd  Lieut. 

4 Wm.  D.  Coney,  3rd  Lieut. 

5 Luke  Magee,  Orderly  Sergt. 

6 W.  W.  J.  Magee,  2nd  Sergt. 

7 Wm.  C.  Vaught,  3rd  Sergt. 

8 Dickey,  Howell,  4th  Sergt 

9 Alford,  Raymond 
xo  Allen,  Lafayette 

1 1 Anders,  Geo. 

12  Buett,  Emanuel 

13  Barmister,  Henry 

14  Barnes,  Webster 

15  Brock,  Alex. 

16  Brock,  William 

17  Barksdale,  Joe 

18  Bankston,  Ab. 

19  Ballard,  James 

20  Ballard,  Anthony 

21  Carter,  Henry  Y. 

22  Carter,  Winston 

23  Coney,  Jasper,  Lieut. 

24  Cohn,  The  Shoemaker 

25  Coney,  Frank 

26  Carter,  Duncan 

27  Carter,  D.  H. 

28  Cliette,  Harvey 

29  Cook,  Thomas 

30  Cook,  A.  U. 

31  Cook,  F.  A. 

32  Dowling,  James 

33  Dickey,  Wm. 

34  Dickey,  Seaborne 

35  Dillon,  the  Fiddler 

36  Estess,  Thomas 

37  Everette,  T.  J.,  Dr. 


38  Ellzey,  Benj.  Frank 

39  Ellzey,  John 

40  Ellzey,  James 

41  Foster,  Joe 

42  Feaney,  

43  Guy,  A-  T. 

44  Gibson,  Cornelius  C. 

45  Harhill,  Cliett 

46  Hodges,  M.  G.  L. 

47  Haverland,  Henry 

48  Hamilton,  Ardell 

49  Johnson,  Alex. 

50  Jenning,  B.  B.,  Sr. 

51  Lane,  J.  F. 

52  Lea,  J.  F. 

53  Lenoir,  Josephus 

54  Lenoir,  Pink 

55  McDaniel,  Pink 

56  McNeil,  H.  D. 

5 7 Maples,  Erastus 

58  McCaffrey,  James 

59  McGehee,  John 

60  McGehee,  Wm. 

61  Magee,  H.  W. 

62  Martin,  J.  S. 

63  Martin,  Jasper 

64  McDaniel,  George 

65  Norman,  Asa  (killed  at  Corinth). 

66  Nash,  Erastus 

67  Prewett,  W.  H. 

68  Prewett,  J.  S. 

69  Prescott,  J.  S. 

70  Prescott,  W.  H. 

71  Powell,  J.  O. 

72  Phillips,  Wm. 

73  Pendarvis,  Richard 

74  Powell,  John 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


201 


NASH’S  COMPANY CONTINUED. 


75  Phillips,  John 

76  Prescott,  Frank 

77  Quin,  Frank  M. 

78  Quin,  R.  R. 

79  Raybom,  James 

80  Russell,  Jessee 

81  Roberts,  Wm. 

82  Schilling,  Roderick 

83  Stecky,  I. 

84  Stevenson,  T.  J. 

85  Stevenson,  W.  M. 

86  Simmons,  Jackson 

87  Simmons,  Jack,  Jr. 

88  Simmons,  Francis 

89  Spinks,  J.  N. 

90  Spinks,  W.  G. 


91  Spinks,  E.  B. 

92  Stuckey,  Isaac 

93  Smith,  John 

94  Smith,  Wm. 

95  Story,  John 

96  Tarver,  Lum 

97  Tuttle,  B. 

98  Tarver,  Fred 

99  Travis,  Sim 

100  Taylor,  Marion 

101  Vamado,  S.  H. 

102  Vamado,  Hardy 

103  Vamado,  Norval 

104  Winbome,  David 

105  Williams,  Harvey 


CAPT.  WILLIAM  MONROE  QUIN. 

Capt.  William  Monroe  Quin,  who  commanded  this  company,  was  a grandson 
of  Peter  Quin,  Sr.,  who  settled  in  Pike  in  1812.  His  parentage  has  already 

been  given.  He  married  Miss  McKay,  a daughter  of  Robert  McKay 

and  Eliza  Harrell.  Robert  McKay  came  from  Ireland  and  settled  on  Little 
Tonsopiho,  but  afterwards  lived  on  Hurricane  Creek,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Muddy  Springs. 

Capt.  Quin  was  the  owner  of  a large  cotton  plantation  and  many  slaves, 
located  equidistant  between  the  towns  of  Magnolia  and  Summit,  at  what  was 
known  as  Quin  Station  after  the  railroad  passed  through  the  plantation,  which 
is  on  Little  Tonsopiho,  between  Femwood  and  Whitestown.  He  and  his  wife 
had  two  daughters — Alice,  who  married  Capt.  Thomas  A.  Gamer,  and  Nanny. 


HOLMESVILLE  GUARDS. 

Holmesville  Guards  organized  in  Holmesville  in  April  of  1862, 
by  Capt.  John  T.  Lamkin,  attached  to  33rd  Mississippi  Regiment 
(Co.  E) . Featherstones  Brigade,  Army  Tennessee,  commanded  by 
Col.  David  W.  Hurst. 


1 John  T.  Lamkin,  Captain 

2 H.  Eugene  Weathersby,  1st  Lieut. 

(killed  at  Franklin,  Tenn.,  No- 
vember 30,  1864) 


3 John  S.  Lamkin,  2nd  Lieut, 

(Captain  close  of  war) 

4 Robert  H.  Felder,  3rd  Lieut. 

5 Lenoir,  George  B. 


202 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Hon.  J.  T.  Lamkin 


12  Lamkin,  Wm.  J.  (son  of  Sampson 

Lamkin,  killed  in  Georgia) 

13  Abner  Lamkin  (son  of  Sampson 

Lamkin,  killed  in  Georgia) 

1 4 Briley,  George  (wounded  at  Peach 

Tree  Creek) 

15  Turnipseed,  Clifton 

16  Kavanaugh,  Henry 

17  Moore,  George  W. 

18  Garner,  David  (killed) 

19  Conerly,  Owen  L.  (33rd  Regiment 

Color  Bearer,  killed  charging 
the  enemy’s  works  at  Frank- 
lin, Tenn.,  November  30,  1864) 

20  Conerly,  Flem  P.  (wounded) 

21  Conerly,  James  R. 

22  Conerly,  Mark  R. 

23  Price,  Jasper  A. 

24  Harrington,  James  (killed) 

25  Harrington,  Wm.  (killed) 

26  King,  Allen 

27  Price,  Wilson 

28  Dunaway,  Jesse 


Dr.  Chauncey  P.  Conerly 
Holmesville  Guards 

Dr.  Conerly  was  Acting  Assistant  Surgeon  of 
the  33d  Mississippi  Regiment  and  Chief 
Clerk  of  Surgeon-General  P.  F.  White- 
head  of  Loring’s  Division. 


HOLMESVILLE  GUARDS — CONTINUED. 


6 Miskell,  Austin  (killed  at  Peach 

Tree  Creek,  Ga.) 

7 Quin,  Lucius  M.  (arm  disabled 

at  Peach  Tree  Creek) 

8 Richmond,  Thomas  Dilla  (wound- 

ed at  Peach  Tree  Creek) 

9 Ratliff,  Warren 

10  Conerly,  Wm.  M. 

1 1 Conerly,  Dr.  Chauncey  Porter 

(hospital  Steward  and  acting 
Assistant  Surgeon  33rd  Missis- 
sippi Regiment  and  Clerk  of 
Chief  Surgeon  P.  F.  White- 
head,  Loring’s  Division) 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


203 


HOLMESVILLE  GUARDS CONTINUED. 


29  May,  Fred 

30  Dunaway,  Pink  (killed  at  Frank- 

lin, Tenn.,  November  30,  1864) 

31  May,  John 

32  May,  Wm.  (killed) 

33  May,  Richard  H. 

34  Lenoir,  Joseph  (died) 

35  Magee,  Wm. 

36  Holmes,  Wm. 

37  Morgan,  Green  (killed  at  Peach 

Tree  Creek) 

38  Payne,  Thomas  (died) 

39  Magaha,  John  (died) 

40  Fisher,  Christian 

41  Bullock,  Thomas  (killed) 

42  Bullock,  Jeremiah  (killed) 

43  Rushing,  Wiley 

44  Rushing,  Evan 

45  Rushing,  U.  K. 

46  Rushing,  Matthew 

47  Rushing,  Novel 

48  Carr,  George 

49  Dunaway,  Dennis 

50  Forest,  Frank 

51  Foil,  Martin  (died) 

52  Lewis,  Lemuel 

53  Lewis,  Samuel  (died) 

54  Holmes,  David 

55  Holmes,  Raiford 

56  Holmes,  Jesse 

57  Barnes,  Pinkney  L. 

58  Felder,  Rufus 

59  Lee,  Marion  (wounded) 

60  Ligon,  Charles  A. 

61  Vanorten,  John 


62  Warner,  John  D. 

63  McCormick,  Ed. 

64  Ware,  Hiram  (died) 

65  Elliott,  Dr.  J.  H. 

66  Bacot,  Adam, 

67  Ginn,  Newland  (died  at  Grenada) 

68  Lamkin,  Charles  A.  (substitute) 

69  Thompson,  Hugh  (died) 

70  Hoover,  Rev.  Wm.  (chaplain  33rd 

Mississippi  Regiment)  . 

71  Blackburn,  Dr. 

72  Hall,  Thomas 

73  Ratliff,  Calvin 

74  Ratliff,  Green 

75  Harvey,  John  (died) 

76  Quin,  Arthur 

77  Ware,  Frank 

78  Bonney,  Henry  S. 

79  Sandifer,  Levi 

80  Price,  Alex  (killed) 

81  Booker,  Wm. 

82  Crosby,  Thos  (died) 

83  Ball,  Newton 

84  Fritz,  Chas.  (died) 

85  Hammond,  Arrington 

86  Rushing,  Levi 

87  Sandifer,  Wallace  (killed) 

88  Sandifer,  Joseph  (killed) 

89  Barr,  Westley 

90  Morgan,  Frank 

91  Dunaway,  John  (killed  at  Cor- 

inth) 

92  Price,  James 


stockdale’s  cavalry. 

Stockdale’s  Cavalry,  Company  I,  4th  Mississippi  Cavalry,  organ 
ized  at  Holmesville,  Miss.,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1862,  by  Thomas  R. 
Stockdale: 

1 Christian,  Hoover,  Captain,  Pike  3 Doug.  Walker,  2d  Lieut.,  Wilkin- 

Co.  son  Co. 

2 Dan  Williams,  1st  Lieut.,  Wilkin-  4 Burrell  C.  Quin,  3d  Lieut.,  Louisi- 

son  Co. 


ana. 


204 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


STOCKDALE’S  CAVALRY CONTINUED. 

5 H.  N.  Shaw,  ist  Sergt.  Amite  Co.  7 W.  M.  Cain,  3d  Sergt.,  Franklin 

6 Drew  Godwin,  2nd  Sergt.,  Amite  Co. 

Co.  8 F.  Wall,  4th  Sergt.,  Abbeville,  La. 

PRIVATES. 


9  Anderson,  B.  F.,  Amite  Co. 

10  Anderson,  Henry,  Amite  Co. 

1 1 Andrews,  Robert,  Amite  Co. 

12  Andrews,  Adam,  Amite  Co. 

13  Bouie,  Dan,  Franklin  Co. 

14  Burras,  Enos,  Franklin  Co. 

15  Briley,  Benjamin  F.,  Pike  Co. 

16  Barnes,  W.  Clinton,  Pike  Co. 

17  Booker,  Jim,  Pike  Co. 

18  Bryant,  Lewis,  Wilkinson  Co. 

19  Berryhill,  G.  W.,  Amite  Co. 

23  Butler,  Hugh,  Amite  Co. 

21  Beam,  Walter,  Franklin  Co. 

22  Brown,  George,  Amite  Co. 

23  Bell,  John,  Amite  Co. 

24  Bell,  A.,  Amite  Co. 

25  Criswell,  M.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

26  Collier,  Tobe,  Wilkinson  Co. 

27  Cox,  W.  H.,  Amite  Co. 

28  Cain,  Isaiah,  Pike  Co, 

29  Cox,  William,  Amite  Co. 

30  Collins,  Levy,  Wilkinson  Co. 

31  Carey,  Richard,  Wilkinson  Co. 

32  Coon,  Frank,  Centerville. 

33  Crozier,  Robert,  Wilkinson  Co. 

34  Cameron, , Centerville. 

35  Causey,  William,  Amite  Co. 

36  Cassedy,  Hiram,  Franklin  Co. 

37  Crow,  Thomas,  Wilkinson  Co. 

38  Coney  Wm.  L.  (Bose),  Pike  Co. 

39  Crago,  Doug.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

40  Caston,  West,  Amite  Co. 

41  Dies,  Dave,  Amite  Co. 

42  Davis,  C.  W.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

43  Dickerson,  Jim,  Pike  Co. 

44  Everett,  W.,  Amite  Co. 

45  Everett,  Alex.,  Amite  Co. 

46  Everett,  J.,  Amite  Co. 


47  Everett,  Chas.,  Amite  Co. 

48  Everett,  Marshall,  Amite  Co. 

(killed  at  Harrisburg,  Miss.) 

49  Everett,  James,  Amite  Co. 

50  Flowers,  E.  W.,  Amite  Co. 

51  Ferguson,  Jas.  M.  (Dr.),  Pike  Co. 

52  Fenn,  D.  W.,  Amite  Co. 

53  Gatlin,  W.  M.,  Amite  Co.  (killed 

at  Harrisburg,  Miss.) 

54  Gamer,  James,  Amite  Co. 

55  Gildart,  James,  Wilkinson  Co. 

56  Gamer,  J,  J.,  Amite  Co. 

57  Glass,  J.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

58  Godwin,  J.,  Amite  Co. 

59  Hurst,  Wm.,  Amite  Co. 

60  Howell,  Joe,  Wilkinson  Co. 

61  Harkless,  , Amite  Co. 

62  Howell,  Henry,  Amite  Co. 

63  Hart,  Joe,  Pike  Co. 

64  Huckleby,  Dave,  Pike  Co. 

65  Hamilton,  Gus,  Pike  Co. 

66  Huff,  T.  H.,  Amite  Co. 

67  Huff,  Van,  Amite  Co. 

68  Holland,  Sam,  Wilkinson  Co. 

69  Harris,  Tom,  Amite  Co. 

70  Harris,  Enoch,  Amite  Co. 

71  Jones,  Pink,  Franklin  Co. 

72  Jackson,  Frank,  Amite  Co. 

73  Johnson,  Alex,  Pike  Co. 

74  Jenkins,  Wiley,  Amite  Co. 

75  Kaigler,  John,  Pike  Co. 

76  Kaigler,  Andrew,  Pike  Co. 

77  Longmire,  Wm.,  Amite  Co. 

78  Linton,  Sam,  Amite  Co. 

79  Lenoir,  Walter,  Pike  Co. 

83  Lusk,  Joe,  Amite  Co. 

81  Lusk,  John,  Amite  Co. 

82  Lewis,  E.  H.,  Wilkinson  Co. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


205 


STOCKDALE’S  CAVALRY CONTINUED. 


83  Ligon,  Woodville,  Miss. 

84  Martin,  Frank,  Amite  Co. 

85  Martin,  Wiley,  Pike  Co.  (killed 

at  Harrisburg,  Miss.). 

86  Martin,  R.  P., 

87  Morris,  Monroe,  Wilkinson  Co. 

88  McReady,  Wilkinson  Co. 

89  McGehee,  T.  L.,  Amite  Co. 

90  McGehee,  Lewis,  Amite  Co. 

91  Moore,  Bill,  Amite  Co. 

92  Mays,  Bill,  Wilkinson  Co. 

93  McLain,  E.  B.,  Amite  Co.  (Gloster) 

94  McLain,  George,  Amite  Co. 

93  Newsom,  H.  C.,  St.  Helena  Par- 
ish, La. 

96  Nunery,  Henry,  Amite  Co. 

97  Netterville,  Jesse,  Wilkinson  Co. 

98  Noble,  W.  H.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

99  Posey,  Jeff,  Wilkinson  Co. 

100  Pascoe,  W.  H.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

101  Patterson,  Wm.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

102  Prosser,  Henry,  Wilkinson  Co. 

103  Price,  J.  G.,  Pike  Co. 

104  Quin,  Sherod  R.,  Pike  Co. 

105  Rollins,  Thad,  Franklin  Co. 

106  Reeves,  James,  Amite  Co. 

107  Roberson,  Thomas,  Amite  Co. 

108  Roudolph,  G.,  Amite  Co.  (South 

Carolina). 

109  Rutland,  Berry,  Wilkinson  Co. 
no  Richardson,  P.  A.,  Wilkinson  Co. 
in  Riley,  G.  R.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

1 12  Rodgers,  Robert,  Wilkinson  Co. 

1 13  Roark,  T.  J.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

1 14  Simrall,  Flem,  Wilkinson  Co. 


1 15  Simrall,  Scrap,  Wilkinson  Co. 

1 16  Swearingen,  Henry,  Amite  Co. 

117  Smith,  Wade,  Amite  Co. 

1 18  Sample,  William,  Wilkinson  Co. 

1 19  Smith,  R.  K. 

120  Stewart,  Henry,  Wilkinson  Co. 

1 21  Statham,  Charles,  Pike  Co. 

122  Sharpe,  Ed.,  Amite  Co. 

123  Thornhill,  J.,  Pike  Co. 

124  Tillery,  D.  W.,  Amite  Co. 

125  Thompson,  Bell,  Amite  Co. 

(killed  at  Harrisburg). 

126  Terrell,  Griff,  Amite  Co. 

127  Thompson,  John,  Amite  Co. 

128  Terrell,  James,  Amite  Co. 

129  Tolbert,  Polk,  Amite  Co. 

130  Vaught,  W.  W.,  Pike  Co.,  Bri- 

gade Quartermaster. 

131  Vaught,  Wm.  C.,  transferred 

from  39  th  Mississippi  to  4th 
Mississippi  Cavalry  F ebruary, 
1863,  at  Port  Hudson. 

132  Van,  Norden,  Pike  Co. 

133  Wright,  Charles,  Wilkinson  Co. 

134  Wright,  E.  A.  Wilkinson  Co. 

135  Walker,  Ed.,  Wilkinson  Co. 

136  Wroten,  W.  M.,  Pike  Co. 

137  Webb,  P.  C.,  Amite  Co. 

138  Weathersby,  L.  O.,  Amite  Co. 

139  Whittaker,  James,  Wilkinson  Co. 

140  Sleeper,  Gardner,  Amite  Co. 

141  Wilson,  W.  H.,  Amite  Co. 

142  Pandarvis,  Dick,  Pike  Co.  (killed 

at  Harrisburg). 


The  above  company  was  organized  July  1,  1862,  by  Thomas  R. 
Stockdale,  who  had  served  in  Virginia  one  year  as  Major  of  the  16th 
Mississippi  Regiment,  then  under  Brigadier  Isaac  R.  Trimble. 

The  company  was  first  officered  by  Thomas  R.  Stockdale,  Captain ; 
Christian  Hoover,  1st  lieutenant;  Dan  Williams,  2nd  lieutenant;  W. 
W.  Vaught,  3rd  lieutenant. 

It  was  formed  into  a battalion  with  W.  Norman’s  company  and 


206 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Thomas  R.  Stockdale  was  elected  major,  when  it  was  known  as 
‘'Stockdale’s  battalion”  of  Cavalry.  This  battalion  was  subse- 
quently consolidated  with  Wilbome’s  batalion  and  formed  into  a 
regiment  known  as  the  4th  Mississippi  Cavalry,  with  W.  W.  Wilbome, 
as  colonel;  Thomas  R.  Stockdale,  lieutenant  colonel  and  W.  Norman, 
major. 

W.  W.  Vaught  was  promoted  to  brigade  quartermaster  and  B.  C. 
Quin  was  elected  3rd  lieutenant  of  the  company.  The  company  was 
first  under  Col.  Frank  Powers,  as  one  of  the  companies  of  Stockdale’s 
battalion,  and  afterwards  in  the  spring  of  1863  was  consolidated  with 
Colonel  Wilborne’s  battalion  and  formed  the  4th  Mississippi  Cavalry, 
and  formed  a part  of  Logan’s  cavalry  brigade,  which  was  composed 
of  the  4th  Mississippi,  14th  Confederate,  nth  and  17th  Arkansas 
regiments,  Roberts’  Battery  and  Brown’s  Scouts. 

Stockdale’s  cavalry  company  was  in  all  the  skirmishes  in  rear  of 
Port  Hudson;  fought  at  Fayette  against  Elliot’s  marine  brigade, 
fought  Sherman  from  Vicksburg  to  Meridian  and  back.  Skirmished 
with  McPhearson’s  Corps  from  Big  Black  to  Brownville  and  back. 
Fought  around  Oxford,  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Harrisburg, 
Miss.,  having  six  men  killed  on  the  field  and  a number  wounded, 
among  them  Lieut.  Col.  T.  R.  Stockdale,  severely.  Was  in  the  cele- 
brated raid  with  General  Forest  to  Johnsonville,  Tennessee,  de- 
stroying over  one  million  dollars  of  the  enemy’s  property;  captured 
and  sunk  three  gunboats;  was  with  Forest  in  the  last  campaign  in 
Alabama,  where  Wilson  made  his  celebrated  raid  destroying  Selma, 
Ala.,  and  Columbus,  Ga.,  and  finally  surrendered  at  Gainesville, 
Ala.,  May  12,  1865. 

The  author  is  pleased  to  acknowledge  his  indebtedness  to  Hon. 
The.  L.  McGehee,  for  the  muster  roll  of  this  company  and  valuable 
data  and  also  to  Dr.  Wm.  Monroe  Wroten,  and  Wm.  L.  Coney  for 
desirable  information  connected  with  its  history,  concerning  which 
Dr.  Wroten  says  in  a note: 

“I  have  carefully  gone  over  the  list  and  made  all  the  corrections,  assisted 
by  W.  L.  Coney.  I hope,  by  a little  pains  and  patience  on  your  part,  you  will 
be  able  to  get  things  measurably  correct.  (Signed)  W.  M.  Wroten.” 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


207 


CAPT.  KIT  HOOVER. 


Capt.  Kit  Hoover,  who  commanded  Stockdale’s  cavalry  company,  was  a son 
of  Judge  Christian  Hoover,  and  his  wife,  Mary  Newland  Nails.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  war  he  joined  the  Summit  Rifles 
and  served  with  that  company  in  the  army 
of  Northern  Virginia.  Being  severely 
wounded  in  one  of  his  limbs,  he  returned 
home  and  joined  Stockdale’s  Cavalry 
and  became  its  captain.  After  the  close 
of  hostilities  he  graduated  in  medicine.  He 
married  Mary  Virginia  Barnes,,  daughter 
of  Harris  Barnes  and  his  wife,  Julia  Lott, 
who  resided  at  Columbia,  in  Marion  County. 

Mary  Virginia  Barnes  was  a sister  of  Mrs. 

Emily  Atkinson,  of  Summit.  These  young 
ladies  were  among  the  most  accomplished  in 
Marion  County.  They  had  two  brothers, 

Allen  and  L.  T.  Barnes,  and  a sister,  Mrs. 

David. 

Capt.  Hoover  and  his  wife  had  two  Capt  Kit  hoover 

children,  Harrie  and  Mamie.  Stockdale’s  Cavalry 


DIXIE  GUARDS  COMPANY  h”  THIRTY-NINTH  MISSISSIPPI  REGIMENT. 

The  Dixie  Guards  were  organized  and  mustered  into  service 
May  5,  1862,  with  James  R.  Wilson,  captain;  Joseph  B.  Wilson,  1st 
lieutenant;  Ned  Bullock,  2nd  lieutenant  and  Wm.  Thompson,  3rd 


lieutenant.  Lieutenant  Bullock 
resigned. 

The  following  is  the  roll  of  the 
Mr.  John  P.  Carruth,  of  Auburn: 

1 J.  R.  Wilson,  Captain. 

2 J.  B.  Wilson,  Lieut. 

3 J.  B.  Gatlin,  Lieut. 

4 J-  J-  White,  Lieut. 

5 J.  P.  Carruth,  Sergt. 

6 J.  J.  Sibley,  Sergt. 

7 Z.  B.  Gatlin,  Sergt. 

8 J.  E.  Denman,  Sergt. 


lied  and  Lieutenant  Thompson 
company  furnished  the  writer  by 


9  N.  W.  Gatlin,  Sergt. 

10  J.  M.  Jones,  Corp. 

11  W.  T.  Jones,  Corp. 

12  W.  J.  Wilson,  Corp. 

13  W.  M.  Small,  Corp. 

14  Adams,  M.  A. 

15  Arnold,  J.  J. 

16  Arnold,  J.  W. 


208 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


DIXIE  GUARDS- 

1 7 Alford,  H. 

1 8 Andrews,  A. 
ig  Bowlin,  W.  L. 

20  Bowlin,  W.  H. 

21  Booth,  R. 

22  Barron,  A.  W. 

23  Barron,  R.  B. 

24  Bigner,  G. 

25  Bigner,  W. 

26  Edwards,  J.  E. 

27  Edwards,  D. 

28  Freeman,  I. 

29  Gardner,  S.  R. 

30  Hunt,  F.  J. 

31  Huckaby,  J. 

32  Hancock,  J.  R. 

33  Huffman,  j.  W. 

34  Johnston,  D.  W. 

35  King,  W.  A. 

36  Lea,  Z.  Z. 

37  Montgomery,  W. 

38  Montgomery,  C. 

39  Montgomery,  J.  A. 

40  McManus,  L.  M. 


■continued. 

41  McDonald,  J. 

42  Newsom,  W.  W. 

43  Roundtree,  E.  R. 

44  Raybom,  I.  B. 

45  Raybom,  J.  J. 

46  Sudduth,  W.  B. 

47  Small,  F.  M. 

48  Steel,  A.  P. 

49  Turner,  J.  W. 

50  Turner,  F.  E. 

51  Terrell,  J.  N. 

52  Terrell,  J.  A. 

53  Travis,  J.  E. 

54  Weathersby,  L.  L. 

55  Wilson,  J.  D. 

56  Wroten,  E.  W. 

57  Wilkinson,  T.  W. 

58  Westbrook,  W.  H. 

59  Dr.  Alex.  Thompson,  discharged. 

60  Elisha  Marsalis,  died  in  service. 

61  Newton  Turner,  died  in  service. 

62  Walter  Terry,  killed  in  battle  of 

Tallahatchie. 


This  company  was  engaged  in  the  battles  of  Tallahatchie  and 
Corinth,  and  was  in  the  siege  of  Port  Hudson.  At  the  surrender  of 
Port  Hudson  the  officers  of  the  company  were  retained  in  prison  and 
the  men  were  paroled  and  never  reorganized  as  Company  H.  Some 
of  them  re-enlisted  in  other  commands.  One  of  the  members,  H. 
Alford,  died  during  the  siege  of  Port  Hudson. 

Dr.  Wm.  T.  Coumbe  was  a member  of  Captain  Nick’s  company 
(E),  22nd  Mississippi  regiment,  from  Amite  County;  also  J.  Dock 
Harrell,  Nick  Tate  and  Leander  Vamado. 

Capt.  Josephus  Quin,  who  married  a Miss  Murphy,  of  Kentucky, 
sister  of  Capt.  Hatch  Murphy,  of  the  Summit  Rifles,  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Harrisburg,  Miss. 

In  1862,  N.  G.  Rhodes,  from  Baton  Rouge,  La.,  raised  a company 
of  cavalry  at  Osyka,  known  as  Rhodes’  Cavalry. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


209 


RHODES’  CAVALRY. 


1 N.  G.  Rhodes,  Captain. 

2 W.  T.  Wren,  ist  Lieut. 

3 R.  B.  Easley,  2nd  Lieut. 

4 W.  B.  Lenoir,  3rd  Lieut. 

5 W.  H.  Terrell,  ist  Sergt. 

6 H.  Delemaer,  2nd  Sergt. 

7 R.  A.  Smith,  3rd  Sergt  (Pass 

Christian). 

8 W.  S.  Gordan,  4th  Sergt. 

9 F.  A.  Way,  5th  Sergt. 

10  E.  F.  Loftin,  ist  Corp. 

11  D.  M.  Redmond,  2nd  Corp. 

12  D.  W.  Wall,  3d  Corp. 

13  J.  D.  McLain,  4th  Corp. 

14  Anderson,  J.  C. 

15  Bridges,  J.  W. 

16  Bastiem,  C. 

17  Bamler,  James. 

18  Briant,  N.  (Liberty) 

19  Bradham,  B. 

20  Brown,  A.  M. 

21  Covington,  J.  C. 

22  Cutrer,  E. 

23  Cutrer,  J.  F. 

24  Davis,  J.  B. 

25  Duff,  M. 

26  Easley,  E.  W. 

27  Easley,  W.  E. 

28  Easley,  N.  Q. 

29  Gordan,  George  (Raymond) 

30  Honea,  T.  P. 

31  Jones,  D. 


32  Kennedy,  R. 

33  Laird,  L. 

34  McDaniel,  H. 

35  McDaniel,  J. 

36  Miller,  W. 

37  Miller,  B. 

38  Morgan,  S. 

39  McCall,  P.  M.  (Raymond) 

40  Mulky,  J.  (Liberty) 

41  Mixon,  J. 

42  Newman,  G.  P. 

43  Owens,  J.  J. 

44  Powell,  H. 

45  Raybom,  J.  E. 

46  Raybom,  A. 

47  Stroud,  P.  S. 

48  Smith,  R. 

49  Smith,  Wm.  (Liberty) 

50  Stokes,  G.  W.  (Clinton,  La.) 

51  Sleeper,  G. 

52  Sandifer,  J.  J. 

53  Sandifer,  J.  W. 

54  Sandifer,  R.  M. 

55  Sandifer,  W.  E. 

56  Spears,  A. 

57  Taylor,  C.  D. 

58  Taylor,  S. 

59  Vamado,  Lain. 

60  Wall,  L.  C.  (Gallatin) 

61  Wright,  E.  A. 

62  Wilson,  S. 

63  McLendon,  M. 


These  men  all  enlisted  at  Osyka,  except  those  marked  in  paren- 
thesis. The  above  is  a copy  of  the  original  muster  roll  on  file  in  the 
Archives  of  History  at  Jackson,  and  the  writer  has  been  unable  to 
get  any  other  report  of  them. 

Some  time  after  the  Holmesville  Guards  went  out  into  the  army, 
Capt.  John  T.  Lamkin  Was  elected  to  a seat  in  the  Confederate  Con- 
gress, sitting  at  Richmond,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  the 
close  of  the  war. 


14 


210 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


John  S.  Lamkin  then  became  commander  of  the  company  and 
served  as  such  until  the  close  of  hostilities. 

The  following  names  have  been  preserved  of  men  and  boys  be- 
longing to  the  home  militia  stationed  at  Summit  under  Colonel 
Wingfield. 


Andrew  Kaigler,  Captain. 

13  Dail,  John. 

Sampson  Ball,  Lieut. 

14  Martin,  Will. 

Lamkin,  James. 

1 s Curlett,  George  W. 

Payne,  Lewis. 

1.6  Lamkin,  Walter  F. 

Applewhite,  Alex. 

17  McClendon,  James. 

Wroten,  D.  H. 

18  Sandifer,  James. 

Grabbs,  Henry. 

19  Brown,  Abner. 

Guy,  Luke. 

20  Laney,  Robert. 

Ellzey,  Jack. 

21  Lampton,  Benj. 

Turnage,  R. 

22  Andrews,  Thompson 

Bridges,  Linus. 

23  Brent,  John. 

Vaughn,  D.  F. 

24  Bridges,  R. 

Robert  S.  Bridges  belonged  to  Captain  Bates’  company  of  Col. 
Frank  Powers’  regiment. 

Capt.  Josephus  R.  Quin,  who  was  killed  at  Harrisburg,  was  a 
citizen  of  Pike  County. 

Col.  Oscar  James  Elizabeth  Stewart,  a lawyer,  who  lived  many 
years  at  Holmesville,  was  stationed  at  Summit  in  charge  of  home 
military  affairs.  Colonel  Stewart  was  ever  zealous  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  as  an  officer  of  the  Confederacy. 

Capt.  R.  W.  Duke,  a saddler  by  trade,  raised  a company  of  boys 
under  16  years  of  age,  whose  main  object  was  to  preserve  the  status 
quo  at  home  and  protect  their  country  from  its  assailants.  They 
rendezvoused  at  Summit  and  went  into  camp  and  some  of  them  were 
detailed  on  courier  service  for  a few  days.  This  new  demand  on 
the  department  commanders’  commissirat  caused  him  to  make  the 
threat  that  he  would  send  them  all  to  Virginia  where  some  of  them 
would  get  hurt.  This  caused  a stampede  from  the  headquarters  at 
Summit  and  that  place  was  thus  deprived  of  the  important  services 
it  might  have  had  of  Duke’s  command  against  the  enemy. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


211 


CAPT.  JAMES  CONERLY’S  COMPANY,  MISSISSIPPI  MILITIA. 


i James  Conerly,  Captain. 

7 

John  Magee,  3rd  Sergt. 

2 John  B.  Leggett,  ist  Lieut. 

8 

J.  A.  Crawford,  4th  Sergt. 

3 E.  Prescott,  2nd  Lieut. 

9 

W.  Rushing,  5th  Sergt. 

10 

Stephen  McLendon,  ist  Corp. 

4 S.  A.  Blackwell,  3d  Lieut. 

1 1 

Wm.  Guy,  2nd  Corp. 

5 D.  H.  Quin,  ist  Sergt. 

12 

Wm.  Boyd,  3rd  Corp. 

6 W.  McDowell,  2nd  Sergt. 

I.  Smith,  4th  Corp. 

PRIVATES. 

14  Aron,  S. 

40 

Rushing,  J.  C. 

15  Bond,  J. 

41 

Ryals,  H. 

16  Brauss,  R. 

42 

Rehorst,  J. 

17  Bing,  A. 

43 

Rulphin,  H. 

18  Bom,  0. 

44 

Rabum,  A. 

19  Bickner,  C. 

45 

Rushing,  W.  T. 

20  Browning,  W. 

46 

Smith,  G. 

21  Clough,  J. 

47 

Stephenson,  W. 

22  Davis,  C.  P. 

48 

Stephens,  P. 

23  Felder,  D.  F. 

49 

Simmons,  H. 

24  Gardner,  A.  H. 

5° 

Schnider,  P. 

25  Hall,  H.  R.  M. 

5i 

Toby,  W. 

26  Hume,  R. 

52 

Vamado,  I.  E. 

27  Heirling,  I. 

53 

Wote,  G. 

28  Headen,  H.  H. 

54 

Wroten,  V.  J.,  Dr. 

29  Harrison,  W.  H. 

55 

Causey,  I.  B. 

30  Huckabee,  I. 

56 

Fortenberry,  B.  T. 

31  Lenoir,  J.  H. 

57 

Hughs,  W. 

32  Lem,  I. 

58 

Sandifer,  R.  M. 

33  McDaniel,  H. 

59 

Sandifer,  W.  E. 

34  McElveen,  M. 

60 

Sandifer,  J.  W. 

35  McElveen,  S.  D. 

61 

Seal,  E. 

36  Miller,  R.  D. 

62 

Sinott,  N. 

37  Magee,  S. 

63 

Waruke,  I. 

38  O’Quin,  I. 

64 

Calliard,  I.,  substitute  for  A.  H 

39  Quin,  Peter  H. 

Gardner. 

The  fall  of  Fort  Sumpter  and  the  surrender  of  Major  Anderson 
soon  transferred  hostilities  to  Virginia  and  the  seat  of  government 
was  removed  from  Montgomery  to  Richmond.  It  was  evident  that 
Virginia  would  be  the  principal  battle  ground  of  the  war.  General 
Beauregard  was  stationed  at  Manassas  Junction,  on  the  Orange  and 
Alexander  Railroad,  with  a small  force,  and  Joseph  E.  Johnston  was 


212 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


sent  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley,  which  was  threatened  by  a force 
under  Patterson,  and  Manassas  by  a force  under  McDowell,  who 
advanced  and  attacked  Beauregard  at  Bull  Run,  on  the  18th  of  July, 
and  was  defeated.  McDowell,  however,  having  a force  double  that 
of  Beauregard,  it  was  evident  that  he  would  renew  the  attack.  J oseph 
E.  Johnston  was  ordered  by  the  President  at  Richmond  to  reinforce 
Beauregard  at  Manassas,  which  he  proceeded  to  do,  keeping  his  an- 
tagonist ignorant  of  his  movement.  McDowell  attacked  Beauregard 
again  on  the  21st  of  July,  with  40,000  men,  when  a hard  and  bloody 
struggle  ensued.  Johnston’s  forces  coming  up  in  due  time,  however, 
McDowell’s  forces  were  put  to  flight  and  driven  back  across  the  Po- 
tomac at  Washington.  This  was  the  great  battle  of  1861,  which 

proved  to  the  invaders  that  it  was  not  as  easy  a job  to  capture 

Richmond  before  breakfast  as  they  had  claimed  they  would  do,  and 
no  doubt  believed  they  would  do,  as  they  brought  along  a good 

supply  of  ladies  in  carriages  to  participate  in  the  great  ball  they 

were  to  have  in  Richmond,  and  some  20,000  handcuffs  to  put  on  the 
"Rebels”  to  be  captured  by  them.  After  this  battle  the  year  1861 
was  principally  occupied  by  both  parties  in  making  preparations 
for  the  future  with  some  minor  demonstrations  and  engagements 
in  different  sections.  The  battle  of  Bull  Run,  or  first  Manassas, 
gave  to  the  South  a considerable  quantity  of  small  arms  and  some 
cannon  which  were  very  much  needed.  In  view  of  the  approaching 
magnitude  of  the  conflict,  the  Congress  of  the  Confederate  States 
passed  a conscription  act  approved  February  17,  1862,  requiring  all 
male  white  persons  of  military  age  to  become  enrolled  in  the  army. 
The  men  in  the  field  at  this  time  had  volunteered  for  one  year  and 
in  the  face  of  a large  invading  force  it  was  evident  that  it  would 
be  a calamity  to  the  Southern  States  should  these  now  trained  vol- 
unteers return  home  at  the  expiration  of  their  term  of  service.  The 
conscription  act  was  intended  to  meet  this  emergency  as  well  as  to 
bring  a large  force  in  the  field  to  repel  the  enemy.  The  volunteers 
unhesitatingly  volunteered  again  for  the  war,  and  were  permitted 
at  the  expiration  of  their  term  of  service  to  reorganize  their  com- 
panies and  regiments. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


213 


The  term  of  the  16th  Mississippi  regiment  would  expire  May  27, 
1862.  They  were  in  R.  S.  Ewell’s  division  on  their  route  to  the 
Shenandoah  Valley,  to  reinforce  "Stonewall”  Jackson  for  the  pur- 
pose of  expelling  the  Federal  General,  N.  P.  Banks,  from  Winchester, 
and  were  camped  not  far  from  the  base  of  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountain, 
on  the  route  leading  across  Swift  Run  Gap.  Here  the  reorganization 
took  place  which  made  the  change  in  the  official  status  of  all  the 
companies  and  of  the  regimental  line. 

As  a matter  of  history  with  which  Pike  County  is  connected  this 
circumstance  is  referred  to.  The  election  occurred  on  the  26th  of 
April,  the  anniversary  of  its  departure  from  Holmesville. 

Colonel  Posey  was  re-elected  colonel;  Capt.  J.  J.  Shannon,  of  the 
Jasper  Grays,  lieutenant  colonel;  Samuel  E.  Baker,  of  che  Adams  Light 
Guards,  major,  thus  retiring  Lieut.  Col.  Robt.  Clarke  and  Maj.  T.  R. 
Stockdale. 

The  Quitman  Guards  elected  Lt.  S.  McNeil  Bain,  captain;  Colden 
Wilson,  1st  lieutenant;  John  Holmes,  2nd  lieutenant;  Van  C.  Coney, 
Jr.,  2nd  lieutenant,  thus  retiring  Capt.  S.  A.  Matthews,  Lieut.  J.  M. 
Nelson  and  Lieut.  R.  J.  R.  Bee,  who  returned  to  their  homes. 

In  the  early  part  of  1862  events  indicated  that  the  Southern 
States  were  entering  the  boundaries  of  a tremendous  struggle.  Pike 
County  was  doing  her  duty.  She  had  already  sent  out  some  of  her 
boys  with  the  University  Grays  attached  to  the  nth  Mississippi 
regiment  under  Captain  Lowry,  who  participated  in  the  first  battle  of 
Manassas,  and  two  companies  of  over  200  men  to  Virginia  now  engaged 
in  active  hostilities,  and  with  the  opening  of  the  campaigns  her  other 
eight  companies  followed  in  rotation  and  were  attached  to  the  western 
or  Tennessee  army;  over  one  thousand  men  out  of  a population  of 
11,135,  including  slaves.  Patriots  imbued  with  the  common  cause 
came  out  from  every  nook  and  comer  of  the  county,  from  all  classes 
of  whites.  They  saw  the  giant  with  frowning  brow  looking  on  them 
and  threatening  them  with  destruction  and  they  calmly  and  resolutely 
came  and  took  their  places  in  the  ranks. 

The  formation  of  these  companies  well  nigh  stripped  the  county 
of  its  men,  except  those  over  military  age  and  boys  under  the  age, 
and  among  this  class  a large  number  were  serving  in  the  army. 


214 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


There  was  one  great  problem  to  be  solved  and  to  be  met  by  the 
people  at  home  which  fell  upon  the  women  and  girls  until  the  Con- 
federate government  could  prepare  for  the  necessity.  The  South 
had  no  manufactories  and  supplies  of  clothing  must  be  had  by  the 
men  in  the  army.  They  had  no  uniforms  and  they,  of  necessity, 
went  out  with  such  as  would  best  suit  the  conditions.  The  task  to 
supply  these  necessities  naturally  fell  on  the  women  and  they  took  hold 
of  the  situation  with  a genius  and  a patriotic  impulse  which  few,  if 
any,  women  of  any  country  or  age  has  ever  equaled. 

The  artisans  who  had  come  as  pioneers  from  the  older  states  in 
the  beginning  of  the  century  had  not  come  in  vain.  From  John 
Barnes,  the  father  of  little  Margaret,  who  floated  down  the  Cumber- 
land, Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers  in  a cypress  canoe  in  1798,  William 
Ravencraft,  who  pulled  his  mill  stones  and  turning  lathes  all  the 
way  from  South  Carolina  to  Magees  Creek  with  cows,  and  from  the 
Walker’s  and  others  down  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  the  lessons  had  been 
taught  and  handed  down  to  the  beginning  of  this  conflict.  The 
loom  makers,  slay  makers,  reel  and  spinning  wheel  makers  were  put 
to  work  to  supply  the  needs  and  soon  the  hum  of  the  wheel,  the 
scratch  of  the  cards,  the  flutter  of  the  reel  and  the  thump  of  the 
looms  were  heard  in  every  household.  The  women  and  girls,  and 
those  who  had  slaves,  the  negro  women  and  girls  too,  with  creditable 
devotion,  entered  into  the  spirit  of  supplying  the  needs  of  the  soldier 
as  well  as  themselves. 

From  Indian  Creek  and  the  Darbun  to  Dillon  town,  from  Hoover’s 
to  the  Louisiana  line;  from  Bogue  Chitto  to  Osyka;  from  Clabber 
Creek  to  Bahala;  from  Topisaw  and  LeatherWood  and  Vamal;  from 
Still  Creek  to  the  limits  of  the  county  on  the  western  line,  all  through 
the  hills  and  valleys  of  Pike  County,  amid  the  moaning  of  the  pines, 
the  thump  of  the  loom  and  the  buzz  of  the  wheel  Was  heard,  cho- 
rused with  the  inspiring  notes  of  the  Bonnie  Blue  Flag,  Dixie  and  the 
Homespun  Dress. 

The  “Homespun  Dress”  was  written  by  Lieutenant  Harrington, 
an  Alabamian,  belonging  to  Morgan’s  cavalry  command,  who  was 
killed  in  the  battle  of  Perryville.  It  is  said  that  the  words  were  not 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


215 


printed  during  the  war.  However,  it  got  rapid  circulation  and  was 
generally  memorized  among  the  Confederate  soldiers  in  the  early 
part  of  the  war,  and  was  sung  at  home  by  the  women  and  girls  through- 
out the  South  to  the  tune  of  the  Bonny  Blue  Flag.  A Writer  in  the 
Age-Herald  of  Birmingham  says: 

“While  Morgan’s  army  was  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  the  women  of  that  city  gave 
a ball  one  night  in  honor  of  Morgan’s  men.  On  this  occasion  it  is  said  the  women 
appeared  in  homespun  dresses.  Lieutenant  Harrington,  of  Alabama,  who  was 
a member  of  Morgan’s  army  and  who  attended  the  ball,  was  so  deeply  affected 
by  the  flower  of  Kentucky’s  young  womanhood  appearing  at  a ball  gowned  in 
homespun  dresses  that  he  wrote  the  words  to  the  song:  ‘The  Homespun  jDress.” 

The  following  are  the  words: 

Oh,  yes,  I am  a Southern  girl, 

And  glory  in  the  name; 

I boast  of  it  with  greater  pride 
Than  glittering  wealth  and  fame ; 

I envy  not  the  Northern  girl 
Her  robes  of  beauty  rare, 

Though  diamonds  deck  her  snowy  neck 
And  pearls  bestud  her  hair. 

CHORUS. 

Hurrah!  Hurrah! 

For  the  sunny  South,  so  dear; 

Three  cheers  for  the  homespun  dress 
The  Southern  ladies  wear! 

Now  Northern  goods  are  out  of  date, 

And,  since  old  Abe’s  blockade, 

We  Southern  girls  can  be  content 
With  goods  that’s  Southern  made. 

We  send  our  sweethearts  to  the  war, 

But,  girls,  ne’er  you  mind — 

Your  soldier  love  will  not  forget 
The  girl  he  left  behind. 

The  Southern  land’s  a glorious  land, 

And  has  a glorious  cause ; 

Then  cheer,  three  cheers  for  Southern  rights 
And  for  the  Southern  boys! 


216 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


We  scorn  to  wear  a bit  of  silk, 

A bit  of  Northern  lace, 

But  make  our  homespun  dresses  up, 

And  wear  them  with  a grace. 

And  now,  young  man,  a word  to  you, 

If  you  would  win  the  fair, 

Go  to  the  field  where  honor  calls 
And  win  your  lady  there; 

Remember  that  our  brightest  smiles 
Are  for  the  true  and  brave, 

And  that  our  tears  are  all  for  those 
Who  fill  the  soldier’s  grave. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1862,  Stonewall  Jackson  and  R.  S.  Ewell 
attacked  the  Union  forces  under  General  Banks  at  Winchester,  and 
drove  them  pell  mell  back  across  the  Potomac.  A large  force  under 
Gen.  George  B.  McClellan,  was  threatening  Richmond.  At  the 
battle  of  Winchester  Jackson  and  Ewell’s  forces  captured  six  hundred 
wagons  with  their  horses  and  equipage,  and  a large  quantity  of 
small  arms  with  some  cannon  and  army  supplies.  In  order  to  save 
all  this  valuable  stuff  and  to  elude  the  junction  of  Fremont  and 
Shield  at  Strasburg,  forty  miles  in  his  rear,  Jackson  made  a rapid 
retreat  back  to  Cross  Keys  and  Port  Republic  and  made  a stand. 
Fremont  and  Shields  came  up  and  on  the  8th  and  9th  of  June,  both 
of  them  were  severely  defeated  and  driven  back  down  the  valley, 
followed  by  a few  squads  of  cavalry  and  daring  scouts.  In  the 
battle  of  Cross  Keys  Jared  B.  May,  William  Gamer  and  Dr.  A.  P. 
Sparkman  were  wounded  and  returned  home,  and  Wesley  Yar- 
borough was  mortally  wounded  and  died.  Immediately  following 
Cross  Keys,  McClellan  advanced  on  Richmond  against  the  Confeder- 
ate forces  there  under  Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  Jackson  and  Ewell 
secretly,  and  by  a most  extraordinary  rapid  movement,  put  their 
commands  in  position  in  front  of  Richmond  without  the  knowledge 
of  Fremont  and  Shields  in  the  valley,  and  the  series  of  battles  before 
Richmond  lasting  seven  days,  resulted  in  the  latter  part  of  June 
and  early  days  of  July. 

At  Cold  Harbor,  where  Ewell’s  forces  fought,  Captain  Brown,  of 
the  Summit  Rifles,  and  Joseph  W.  Collins,  of  the  Quitman  Guards, 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


217 


were  killed  and  George  W.  Simmons  of  the  latter  company  mortally 
wounded.  George  W.  Root  and  Lieut.  John  Holmes  were  wounded, 
and  Ike  Dick,  of  the  Summit  Rifles,  badly  wounded  while  bearing 
the  colors  of  the  16th  Mississippi  in  a desperate  charge  on  the  enemy’s 
works.  These  series  of  battles  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  the  enemy 
and  forced  them  to  abandon  this  line  and  fall  back  on  Washington. 

Gen.  Joseph  E.  Johnston  being  wounded  during  this  great  con- 
flict, Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  was  placed  in  command  of  the  army  in 
Virginia  and  then  another  series  of  battles  ensued  at  Slaughter  Moun- 
tain, Second  Manassas,  Harpers  Ferry , Boonsboro,  Md.,  Sharp sburg  and 
Fredericksburg  in  this  eventful  year,  and  the  roll  of  the  killed  and 
wounded  and  prisoners  of  Mississippians  in  Virginia  was  greatly 
enlarged.  While  all  these  stirring  events  were  occurring  in  Virginia, 
Gen.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  was  organizing  for  the  defense  of  the 
Southwestern  department  and  the  formation  of  the  Army  of  Ten- 
nessee and  the  conflict  was  gathering  with  stupendous  proportions. 

The  Bogue  Chitto  Guards  under  Captain  Carter,  were  organized 
May  i,  1 86 1.  The  Dahlgreen  Rifles  under  Capt.  Parham  B.  Wil- 
liams, August,  22,  1 86 1,  and  the  McNair  Rifles  in  October,  1861, 
and  then  followed  the  Brent  Rifles  on  the  26th  of  April,  1862.  Nash’s 
company,  Holmesville  Guards,  Dixie  Guards,  Stockdale’s  Cavalry 
and  Rhodes’  Cavalry  following.  Of  these  the  McNair  Rifles  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  General  Johnston  fought  this 
battle  With  less  than  40,000  men,  while  his  antagonist  is  credited 
with  over  49,000  men,  reinforced  by  Buel  with  21,579  men.  The  war 
had  been  carried  into  Missouri  and  elsewhere  west  of  the  Mississippi 
river  and  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  Forts  Henry  and  Donald- 
son on  the  Tennessee  river,  had  fallen  under  combined  land  and  naval 
forces  of  the  enemy  in  February,  1862,  by  which  the  Confederacy 
lost  some  15,000  men  by  surrender  and  in  killed  and  wounded,  and 
Gen.  Albert  Sidney  Johnston  concentrated  all  of  his  available  forces 
near  Corinth,  with  General  Beauregard  second  in  command.  The 
success  of  the  Union  arms  at  Forts  Henry  and  Donaldson  caused 
President  Lincoln  to  make  U.  S.  Grant  a major  general  in  command 
of  that  department  and  the  two  armies  came  together  at  Shiloh 


218  [:  HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 

Church  in  Tennessee,  on  the  6th  of  April,  when  the  great  battle  of 
that  name  was  fought.  The  Union  army  under  General  Grant,  was 
defeated  and  driven  back  under  cover  of  his  gunboats  at  Pittsburg 
Landing,  Tennessee  river,  but  in  the  hour  of  the  triumph  of  his  mag- 
nificent military  genius  the  great  Confederate  general  received  a 
mortal  wound  and  died  on  the  field  from  loss  of  blood  from  a severed 
artery  in  his  leg,  which  misfortune  to  the  Confederate  arms,  occur- 
ring when  it  did,  prevented  the  utter  destruction  or  surrender  of 
their  enemies.  The  enemy  claimed  a victory  at  Pittsburg  Landing, 
but  the  facts  seem  to  indicate  that  their  victory  consisted  in  not 
being  destroyed,  which  was  prevented  by  the  timely  reinforcement 
of  Buel  with  over  21,000  fresh  troops.  In  the  batcle  of  Shiloh  the 
Confederates  lost  1,728  killed,  8,012  wounded  and  959  missing  or 
captured;  total,  10,699. 

The  enemy  lost  1,500  killed,  6,634  wounded  and  3,086  missing 
or  captured,  total,  11,220. 

The  reader  of  these  pages  must  not  expect  in  them  a history  of 
the  war  or  detailed  account  of  battles.  The  events  which  have 
been  mentioned  are  intended  to  call  the  attention  of  the  uninformed 
more  particularly  to  the  character  of  the  great  war  in  the  beginning 
of  active  hostilities  at  this  period.  The  student  must  turn  to  works 
devoted  to  it  in  order  to  obtain  correct  information  as  to  the  causes 
and  events  following,  and  they  can  find  no  better  works  on  the  sub- 
ject than  Jefferson  Davis’  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Govern- 
ment and  the  Life  of  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  by  his  son,  Wm.  Pres- 
ton Johnston.  The  year  1862  was  fraught  with  many  hard  fought 
battles,  with  a preponderance  of  numbers  always  in  favor  of  the 
enemy,  and  the  victory  generally  in  favor  of  the  Confederates.  At 
the  end  of  two  years  from  the  secession  of  the  States,  with  all  the 
blood  and  treasure  which  had  been  expended  on  both  sides,  the  war 
appeared  to  have  just  begun.  The  South  had  garnered  nearly,  if 
not  all,  her  resources  in  men  and  means  to  beat  back  her  ruthless 
invaders.  Her  entire  roll  of  men  reached  only  600,000  and  from 
this  enrollment  was  taken  men  for  employment  in  every  branch  of 
the  civil  and  military  service  outside  of  the  field.  Some  Southern 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


219 


historians  have  claimed  that  the  South  had  less  than  400,000  actual 
and  effective  fighting  men  in  the  different  fields  of  operation,  while 
the  enemy  shows  by  published  records  of  their  own  that  they  en- 
listed and  put  in  the  field  2,678,967  men,  besides  their  militia  and 
maritime  forces  against  our  people.  These  figures  come  from  the 
Rebellion  Records  published  by  the  government  and  are  copied 
from  Davis’  Rise  and  Fall  of  the  Confederate  Government. 

In  Henry  W.  Rauff’s  Century  Book  of  Facts,  page  617,  the  reader 
will  find  the  following  figures: 

Lincoln’s  Calls,  2,942,748. 

Obtained,  2,690,401. 

Number  of  men  furnished  by  states  in  same  table,  2,778,304. 

These  do  not  include  the  U.  S.  regular  army  and  navy,  nor  several 
hundred  thousand  militia. 

So  persistent  has  some  northern  historians  been  in  falsifying  the 
true  records  that  they  cannot  be  relied  upon.  And  this  very  same 
man  Rauff  in  his  Century  Book  of  Facts  is  one  of  them,  for  he  has 
stated  that  the  North  never  had  over  700,000  active  men  in  the  field 
at  any  one  time.  They  have  strained  consciences  and  veracity  to 
such  a degree  that  they  have  tried  to  make  it  appear,  and  to  falsely 
teach  northern  children,  that  the  South  outnumbered  them  in  troops 
in  the  field,  as  shown  by  an  essay  written  by  a northern  girl  in  which 
she  stated  that  the  Confederates  numbered  two-thirds  of  the  Union 
soldiers,  when  the  truth  is  they  numbered  about  one-fifth. 

What  of  this  unequal  contest?  What  age  of  the  world  has  its 
like?  Where  is  the  argument  or  the  record  to  justify  the  North’s 
contemptuous  boast  of  whipping  the  South?  Four  years  for  such  a 
stupendous  army  and  navy  with  unlimited  means  and  armament, 
with  the  entire  world  to  draw  from,  to  overcome  the  South’s  400,000 
“ragged,  barefooted,  sickly,  half-starved  rebels,”  as  they  were  sneer- 
ingly  denominated  in  northern  prisons  to  justify  the  inequality  of 
prison  deaths!  History  reveals  the  “Story  of  the  Lost  Cause.”  No 
people  under  the  sun  struggled  under  greater  difficulties,  or  fought 
more  desperately  for  the  preservation  of  their  rights  and  in  defense 
of  their  homes  and  their  beloved  land,  against  such  tremendous  odds, 


220 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


cut  off  from  the  outside  world,  than  those  constituting  the  armies  of 
the  Confederate  States. 

When  Thaddeus  Stephens,  the  great  abolition  leader,  gave  the  word 
to  "beat  the  devil  out  of  the  South,”  it  was  the  slogan  for  destruction; 
the  obliteration  of  the  South’s  manhood  and  womanhood;  the  piling 
up  of  hecatombs  from  her  chivalric  sons  and  daughters,  and  the 
fulfillment  of  a cruel  conqueror’s  dream  of  an  African  domination 
constructed  over  the  ruins  of  her  temples  and  the  embers  of  her  Cau- 
casian glory.  "To  hell  with  the  constitution,”  which  the  South  had 
revered,  was  the  motto  and  the  watchword  in  the  coercion  of  the 
Southern  States,  with  Abraham  as  their  willing  executive. 

Mr.  Lincoln  stated  in  his  first  inaugural  address  that  he  had  no 
constitutional  right  to  interfere  with  the  institution  of  slavery  and 
that  there  was  no  purpose  to  do  so ; but  there  was  just  as  much  reason 
to  believe  this  as  there  was  to  put  confidence  in  anything  which  had 
transpired  relating  to  the  Fort  Moultrie  and  Fort  Sumpter  affairs— 
a complete  and  cunning  piece  of  official  perfidy,  from  start  to  finish. 

In  his  second  inaugural  address  after  he  had  issued  his  emancipa- 
tion proclamation,  he  said:  "All  knew  that  this  interest  (slavery) 

was  somehow  the  cause  of  the  war,”  and  he  helped  to  make  it  so. 

In  1833,  at  a meeting  of  the  American  Anti-Slavery  Society,  at 
Philadelphia,  a declaration  of  sentiments  was  adopted  as  follows: 

"We  maintain  that  the  slaves  of  the  South  ought  to  be  instantly 
set  free.” 

"We  maintain  that  no  compensation  should  be  given  to  the 
planters  emancipating  their  slaves.” 

When  it  is  considered  that  this  same  year  the  British  government 
had  paid  her  planters  the  sum  of  one  hundred  ($100,000,000)  millions 
of  dollars  for  their  slaves  emancipated,  and  the  South’s  slave  property 
largely  greater  than  this  in  value,  the  intelligent  reader  will  admit 
that  from  a financial  point  of  view  alone,  the  South  had  a good  cause  for 
her  fears  and  complaints.  It  was  a consciousness  of  right  that 
actuated  them. 

"I  had  rather  be  right  than  to  be  president,”  said  an  eminent 
Southern  man. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


221 


“I  may  not  be  on  the  winning  side,  but  I know  I am  on  the  right 
side,”  said  a Southern  Governor. 

Vice-President  Alexander  H.  Stevens,  of  the  Confederate  Gov- 
ernment, a man  acknowledged  by  all  to  be  devoted  to  the  Union  and 
the  Constitution  at  the  period  of  the  secession  of  Georgia,  which  he 
represented  in  the  United  States  Senate,  said: 

“l  am  afraid  of  nothing  on  earth,  or  above  the  earth,  or  under  the 
earth,  except  to  do  Wrong.” 

"Duty  is  the  sublimest  Word  in  the  English  language,”  said 
Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee. 

The  declaration  embodied  in  the  resolutions  of  the  American  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  was  an  echo  of  the  sentiment  of  England  after  it  was 
found  that  there  was  no  more  kidnapping  money  to  be  made  out  of 
the  Southern  States,  which  had  passed  laws  forbidding  their  nefarious 
crime.  It  was  all  right  for  the  Eastern  Yankee  to  steal  Africans  and 
sell  them  to  the  South,  but  it  was  Wrong  in  their  eyes  for  the  South 
to  be  paid  for  them  on  emancipation. 

A period  frought  with  so  many  things  to  attract  the  attention  of 
the  historian  cannot  be  given  in  a local  record. 

When  all  the  men  fit  for  military  duty  in  Pike  County  were  in 
the  field,  it  must  be  plausible  to  the  minds  of  the  living,  that  the 
women  had  a struggle  all  to  themselves  that  no  man  or  woman  of 
the  present  generation  can  comprehend.  More  than  half  of  them 
had  to  depend  on  their  own  resources,  for  they  were  not  slave  owners. 
And  with  all  their  efforts  for  the  maintenance  of  themselves  and  children 
came  the  reports,  wafted  by  every  breeze,  of  the  great  battles  being 
fought,  bringing  tidings  of  loved  ones  killed  or  wounded.  Distress 
and  suffering  broadened  and  deepened  the  chasm  where  sorrow 
found  its  habitation.  Old  men  and  women  of  pioneer  fame  who 
sprung  from  revolutionary  sires,  fell  upon  their  knees  in  humble  suppli- 
cation to  ward  off  the  great  affliction ; but  here  in  these  pine  hills, 
where  joyous  hopes  had  lived  and  brightened  and  beautified  life,  a 
deep  wail  went  forth  to  gratify  the  ever  insatiable  maw  of  northern 
hatred  and  crime. 


222 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


All  the  men  in  Pike  County  capable  of  bearing  arms  were  in  the 
field,  as  stated  before,  except  a few  men  who  were  allowed  under  the 
conscription  act  of  Congress  to  remain  at  home  to  manage  negro 
labor  in  productions  necessary  for  the  support  of  the  army.  One- 
tenth  of  the  home  productions  of  all  were  exacted  for  this  purpose, 
and  those  who  had  no  slaves  to  help  them  on  the  farms  were  equally 
burdened  with  this  tax,  making  it  doubly  severe  on  those  unable  to 
provide  a sufficiency  for  themselves  and  helpless  children.  Some 
old  men,  subject  only  to  militia  duty  as  home  guards,  were  detailed 
to  look  after  those  who  were  in  dire  distress  and  seek  means  for  their 
relief.  Human  fortitude  was  taxed  to  the  extreme  point,  but  they 
never  lost  any  of  their  chivalrous  characteristics.  Like  their  an- 
cestors of  the  revolutionary  period,  they  could  and  did  often  subsist 
on  parched  com  and  roasted  sweet  potatoes. 

In  the  year  1863,  the  Confederate  Army  may  be  said  to  have 
reached  its  full  strength,  about  600,000  men,  while  the  enemy  had 
called  out  nearly  3,000,000,  and  the  prospect  for  peace  was  yet  with- 
out hope.  This  preponderance  of  forces  enabled  the  U.  S.  govern- 
ment to  blockade  all  the  Southern  ports  and  in  a manner  cut  them 
off  from  foreign  communication,  besides  placing  more  than  four  times 
their  strength  against  them  in  the  field. 

The  enemy  had  captured  New  Orleans,  thus  cutting  off  the  main 
depot  of  supplies  for  a large  section  of  Louisiana  and  Mississippi.  It 
was  difficult  to  procure  salt  and  the  people  had  to  dig  up  the  dirt  of 
their  old  smoke  houses  and  boil  it  to  extract  the  salt  from  it.  At 
times  it  could  be  procured  from  the  Avery  Island,  in  Louisiana. 
Sugar  was  procured  from  Baton  Rouge  and  other  points  by  wagons 
and  taken  in  exchange  for  cotton  or  other  products.  No  means  were 
at  the  command  of  the  people  at  times,  and  it  was  a desperate  con- 
dition which  confronted  them.  Confederate  money  was  greatly 
depreciated  in  value.  Flour  and  coffee  were  out  of  the  question 
with  the  masses  far  South,  and  even  the  wealthy  could  not  procure 
them.  Parched  meal  or  com  and  other  things  were  used  as  substi- 
tutes for  coffee.  Sometimes  the  blockade,  as  it  was  termed,  could  be 
slipped  through  and  coffee  obtained  from  places  within  the  enemy’s 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


223 


lines.  A woman  with  a house  full  of  little  children  to  support  was  at 
a great  disadvantage  in  the  struggle  for  existence. 

The  years  of  1863  and  1864  were  fruitful  of  desperate  encounters. 
The  enemy  was  straining  every  resource  and  power  to  accomplish 
the  defeat  of  the  Confederate  armies.  Thousand  dollar  bounties 
were  given  to  enlist,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  foreigners  from 
Europe  flocked  to  their  standard  for  the  sake  of  the  money  to  fight 
“mit  the  flag”  and  save  the  Union  (?).  After  a most  heroic  defense, 
Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson  were  given  up  in  1863,  and  Lee,  with 
his  invincibles,  penetrated  into  Pennsylvania  and  the  swelling  tide 
of  the  struggle  seemed  to  be  at  its  height ; but  there  were  no  re-inforce- 
ments  nor  recruits  to  be  had  to  replace  the  losses  of  the  Confederates, 
while  to  destroy  a thousand  of  the  enemy  might  bring  a hundred 
thousand  more.  Shut  out  from  the  whole  world,  with  depleting 
ranks  and  scant  rations,  they  fought  on  without  a thought  of  defeat, 
and  the  whole  land  from  the  Potomac  to  the  Rio  Grande,  and  to  the 
Gulf,  was  baptized  in  blood  and  marked  with  conflagrations  and 
ruin. 

A considerable  force  of  the  enemy’s  cavalry  under  Grierson,  taking 
advantage  of  the  absence  of  regular  troops,  marched  diagonally 
across  Mississippi  through  Meridian,  tearing  up  the  Vicksburg  and 
Meridian  and  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad  tracks,  destroying  the 
town  and  committing  other  acts  of  vandalism,  which  was  one  of  the 
peculiar  characteristics  of  Yankee  soldiers.  They  were  notorious  as 
robbers  and  thieves,  when  there  were  no  forces  in  their  way  to  oppose 
them,  except  a few  squads  of  militia  and  women  and  children. 

They  passed  through  the  town  of  Brookhaven,  and  of  Summit, 
in  Pike  County,  plundered  the  towns  and  destroyed  all  the  business 
houses  and  some  residences  that  belonged  to  men  in  the  Confederate 
army,  whose  names  are  recorded  in  this  book;  men  who  were  pur- 
suing a civilized  mode  of  warfare  and  not  cowardly  and  disgraceful 
vandalism,  perpetrated  by  these  so-called  United  States  patriots. 

The  small  force  of  militia  composed  of  men  and  boys  exempt  from 
the  regular  army  stationed  here  under  Colonel  Wingfield  did  not  feel 
it  safe  to  risk  a battle  with  the  well  equipped  and  trained  troopers 


224 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


under  Grierson,  and  they  retreated  across  the  Bogue  Chitto  at  Hoover’s 
bridge,  while  Grierson,  after  accomplishing  his  vandalism,  proceeded 
on  his  route  unmolested  through  the  country  to  the  Southwest. 

Lieut.  Sampson  Ball,  who  had  seen  service  in  the  regular  army 
and  had  been  discharged,  made  application  for  ioo  boys  belonging  to 
the  militia  forces  for  the  purpose  of  disputing  the  passage  of  the 
enemy  across  the  Tangipahoa,  but  the  application  was  refused. 


Hoover  Iron  Bridge 
Scene  on  the  Bogue  Chitto  River 


Lieutenant  Ball  related  to  the  writer  that  he  thought  Grierson’s 
forces  had  been  greatly  overestimated  and  with  a bold  attempt, 
coupled  with  a little  strategy,  he  might  have  delayed  and  annoyed 
them  sufficiently  to  have  secured  their  surrender  to  other  forces 
seeking  to  apprehend  them  on  the  line  to  Baton  Rouge,  but  his  appli- 
cation was  refused. 

The  few  conscripts  stationed  at  Brookhaven,  under  Capt.  S.  A. 
Matthews  and  Lieut.  A.  M.  Bickham,  made  a circuitous  retrograde 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


225 


movement  into  the  dismal  regions  of  the  Otopasas  and  thus  eluded 
the  Yankee  cavalier,  running  rough  shod  over  the  unprotected  women 
and  children  of  Mississippi  and  Northeast  Louisiana. 

Grierson,  like  Sherman,  in  his  celebrated,  proudly  heralded 
farce  act  through  Georgia,  against  a similar  foe,  landed  at  Baton 
Rouge,  covered  all  over  with  glory  and  wreaths  of  victory  in  the 
estimation  of  the  Northern  government. 

When  the  civil  war  ended  in  1865,  the  South  was  a land  of  deso- 
lation indeed,  and  those  who  survived  its  consequences  were  left 
without  a ray  of  hope.  All  they  had  possessed  was  gone  save  the 
land  they  returned  to,  and  that  Was  offered  by  the  Yankees  to  the 
negroes  in  sections  of  forty  acres  and  a mule. 

The  great  battles  fought  by  the  Army  of  Tennessee  succeeding 
that  of  Shiloh,  under  the  command  of  Gens.  Leonidas  Polk,  Beauregard, 
J.  E.  Johnston,  Bragg  and  Hood,  on  the  fields  of  Marietta,  Resaca, 
Peach  Tree  Creek,  Mission  Ridge,  Chicamauga,  Atlanta,  Franklin 
and  elsewhere,  reduced  their  forces  so  much  that  when  Lee  surren- 
dered, the  others  followed  in  quick  succession. 

During  this  war  and  previous  to  the  general  surrender,  the  Con- 
federates captured  Union  prisoners  to  the  number  of  270,000  men; 
killed  over  350,000  of  them  and  caused  over  a million  of  them  to  be 
placed  on  the  pension  rolls  from  being  disabled. 

The  Unionists  captured  220,000  Confederates  and  according  to  a 
report  made  by  Surgeon  Gen.  Barnes,  of  the  270,000  Union  soldiers 
captured  by  the  Confederates,  22,000  died  in  Southern  prisons;  and 
of  the  220,000  Confederates  captured  by  the  Unionists,  28,000  died 
in  Northern  prisons. 

Ever  since  the  close  of  that  war  there  has  been  a persistent  at- 
tempt on  the  part  of  Northern  writers  to  misrepresent  the  truths  of 
history  in  order  to  cover  up  and  hide  the  cruelties  and  inhumanity 
of  united  soldiers  and  its  authorities  from  the  knowledge  of  coming 
generations,  but  in  the  language  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  “we  cannot 
escape  history,”  they  have  charged  that  the  Confederates  were  cruel 
and  barbarous  in  their  treatment  to  Union  prisoners,  and  claimed  chat 
the  rigors  of  the  climate  where  Confederates  were  held  was  the  cause 

15 


226 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


of  a larger  proportion  dying,  though  the  South  held  over  50,000  more 
prisoners  than  they,  when  the  North  was  possessed  of  everything 
and  every  means  necessary  to  prevent  the  wholesale  mortality  which 
prevailed  in  their  prison  and  the  South  did  not. 

The  false  assertions  and  arguments  and  mutilations  of  history,  in 
the  efforts  to  justify  their  ruthless  invasion  and  coercion  of  the  South- 
ern States  and  to  make  Confederate  authorities  greater  sinners  than 
Northern  authorities,  has  fallen  stiffly  to  the  ground,  as  dead  and 
worthless  literature,  and  repudiated  by  intelligent  investigators  in 
the  face  of  official  reports. 

General  Lee’s  army  in  Virginia  was  never  beaten  on  a single 
battlefield,  nor  driven  from  one,  from  Bull  Run,  July  18  and  21,  1861, 
to  the  last  days  at  Petersburg,  and  it  never  yielded  to  its  foe  until 
reduced  by  hard  and  constant  fighting  to  a mere  fragment  as  com- 
pared with  its  ever  recruiting  antagonist,  surrounded  by  ten  times 
its  number.  With  the  close  of  the  career  of  this  invincible  body 
of  men  came  the  fall  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  as  all  the  other 
armies  agreed  upon  the  terms  arranged  between  General  Grant  and 
General  Lee,  approved  by  President  Lincoln,  who  was  shortly  after 
assassinated  by  John  Wilkes  Booth,  an  actor,  in  Ford’s  Theater  in 
Washington  City. 

President  Jefferson  Davis,  of  the  Confederacy,  was  captured  by 
a troop  of  Wilson’s  cavalry  in  Georgia  and  placed  in  irons  and  chained 
in  Fortress  Monroe,  by  General  Miles,  and  tortured  therefor  two  years, 
with  inhuman  cruelty.  He  was  subsequently  released  from  custody 
under  bond  signed  by  Horace  Greely  and  others,  as  the  government 
of  the  United  States  was  unable  to  make  out  a case  against  him. 
Many  cruel  things  were  done  after  the  close  of  this  war  in  a spirit  of 
vindictiveness  and  many  innocent  men  and  women  made  to  suffer 
death;  among  them  Mrs.  Surratt,  of  Maryland,  an  innocent  and  help- 
less Woman,  charged  with  complicity  in  the  assassination  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln;  and  Captain  Wirz,  who  was  commander  in  charge  of 
Union  prisoners  at  Andersonville,  Georgia.  In  the  long  years  of 
hard  fighting  against  great  odds,  the  Southern  armies,  by  the  casu- 
alties of  war,  were  reduced  and  overpowered.  The  Southern  people 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


227 


had  suffered  much  and  might  have  quietly  borne  the  disaster,  but  the 
end  was  not  yet. 

Capt.  Henry  A.  Wirz,  above  mentioned,  was  a Switzer  and  was 
the  commander  of  the  Confederate  prison  at  Andersonville,  Ga. 
After  the  close  of  the  war  he  was  hanged  at  Washington,  November 
io,  1865,  as  the  result  of  suborned  testimony,  or  subordination  of 
perjury,  under  pretense  of  conspiring  to  cause  the  death  of  Federal 
prisoners  at  Andersonville,  but  really  for  refusing  to  give  evidence 
or  perjure  himself  against  Jefferson  Davis.  He  was  charged  in  con- 
spiracy with  Jefferson  Davis,  James  A.  Seddon,  Howell  Cobb,  W.  H. 
Winder  and  others  to  kill  Union  prisoners  at  Andersonville,  in  his 
keeping. 

There  was  a conspiracy,  known  as  the  Conover  conspiracy,  gotten 
up  in  Washington  City,  to  connect  Jefferson  Davis  with  the  assassi- 
nation of  Abraham  Lincoln,  which  failed;  and  the  attempt  to  fix 
the  other  crime  on  him  was  made  to  secure  his  destruction ; and 
Wirz  was  convicted  on  perjured  testimony,  and  the  effort  was  made 
to  induce  him  to  testify  against  Mr.  Davis  to  save  his  own  life,  which 
he  refused  to  do.  His  conviction  was  secured  upon  the  perjured 
testimony  of  a Frenchman  named  Felix  de  la  Baume,  a grand  nephew 
of  Marquis  Lafayette,  who  was  given  a position  in  the  interior  depart- 
ment as  a reward  for  his  perjury.  He  was  shortly  after  recognized 
as  a Saxon  named  Oeser,  a deserter  of  a New  York  regiment,  and  was 
dismissed  eleven  days  after  the  execution  of  the  man  whose  life  he 
had  sworn  away. 

Sam  Davis,  of  Tennessee,  a young  Confederate  soldier  caught 
within  the  Union  lines,  was  executed  under  similar  circumstances. 
He  was  a scout  and  penetrated  the  enemy’s  lines  and  was  captured. 
Certain  information  found  on  his  person,  procured  from  a personal 
friend  in  the  Union  lines,  caused  him  to  be  tried  as  a spy,  though  un- 
disguised. His  life  was  offered  to  be  spared  if  he  would  turn  traitor 
to  his  friends,  which  he  refused  to  do,  and  he  was  hung  in  Tennessee. 

The  trial  of  Captain  Wirz  is  of  record  and  cannot  be  destroyed, 
neither  can  the  records  of  the  Secretary  of  war  in  reference  to  the 
test  of  the  treatment  and  suffering  of  the  prisoners  of  war  North  and 


228 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


South,  and  will  always  be  available  to  the  historian;  and  any  attempt 
to  fix  criminality  on  Southern  leaders  or  men  for  cruel  treatment  to 
union  soldiers  will  be  met  by  these  records.  The  writer  of  this  book 
was  for  three  months,  while  disabled  for  service  in  the  field,  detailed 
for  service  with  an  attending  physician  in  the  prisons  at  Danville, 
Va.,  and  can  testify  from  his  own  knowledge  of  kindness  shown  them 
by  Confederate  officers  at  that  place  in  1864.  The  necessities  and 
conditions  at  the  time  compelled  the  crowding  of  them  in  smaller 
spaces  than  was  conducive  to  their  health,  and  the  living  was  hard, 
but  it  Was  as  good  as  that  issued  to  Lee’s  veterans,  confronting  the 
powerful  and  preponderating  forces  under  General  Grant  at  Peters- 
burg. The  government  at  Washington  had  all  the  resources  of  the 
world  at  its  command,  which  the  Confederacy  was  cut  off  from,  and 
the  North  claimed  a more  healthful  climate,  and  yet,  the  deaths  of 
Confederate  soldiers  in  Northern  prisons  was  25  per  cent,  greater 
than  that  of  Union  prisoners  in  Southern  prisons.  It  stands  any 
ex-union  soldier  or  Northern  man  in  bad  plight  to  attempt  to  fix 
such  crimes  upon  Southern  men  and  try  to  exonerate  themselves  from 
inhumanity  and  barbarity.  This  Writer,  a prisoner  himself,  knew  of 
Southern  soldiers  at  the  old  capitol  building  in  Washington  City, 
brutally  murdered  by  the  guards  for  thoughtlessly  looking  out  the 
bars  at  the  windows;  and  there  was  no  necessity  for  starving  them, 
as  was  done,  and  which  every  Confederate  prisoner  can  testify  to, 
while  upon  the  other  hand  the  South’s  resources  were  exhausted; 
but  they  gave  their  prisoners  what  their  own  soldiers  had  who  were 
termed  “poor,  feeble,  ragged  rebels” — requiring  nearly  three  millions 
of  men  with  the  resources  of  the  world  at  their  command  four 
years  to  subdue.  There  is  no  question  of  doubt  that  the  barbarity 
practiced  on  Confederates  was  vindictive  and  intentional  in  order  to 
accomplish  the  attrition  necessary  to  overcome  them,  as  their 
immense  armies  could  not  subdue  them  on  the  field  of  battle,  and 
the  suffering  and  mortality  of  both  Confederate  and  Union  soldiers 
is  due  to  the  refusal  of  Northern  authorities  to  exchange  prisoners, 
which  would  have  saved  thousands  of  lives  on  both  sides. 

The  fields  of  Virginia  were  spread  with  the  dead  and  the  line  on 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


229 


the  frontier,  where  the  armies  had  so  often  clashed,  was  a mark  of 
desolation.  The  hope  of  the  country  was  centered  on  Lee  and  he 
knew  the  great  responsibility.  It  was  a heavy  burden  sustained  as 
he  was  by  his  noble  compatriots,  but  his  master  mind  wavered  not 
until  the  very  climax  of  dissolution  was  forced  upon  him.  When 
the  opposing  chief  offered  him  the  opportunity  to  surrender  the  little 


Gen.  Nathaniel  H.  Harris 

guard  that  was  left  him,  he  replied  that  the  time  had  not  yet  come. 
His  army  had  never  been  driven  from  a single  battlefield,  though  al- 
ways matched  against  superior  numbers.  The  climax  came  when 
after  eleven  months  incessant  fighting  his  heroes  had  been  taken  from 
him  by  the  force  of  overpowering  numbers,  and  the  last  lingering 
hope  died  only,  when  in  response  to  his  order  to  “Hold  the  Fort  at  all 
hazards,”  it  was  entrusted  to  Harris’  Mississippians,  who  went 
down  at  Fort  Gregg. 


230 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Buxton  R.  Conerly 


HOW  FORT  GREGG  WAS  DEFENDED  APRIL  2,  1865. 

BY  BUXTON  R.  CONERLY, 

One  of  its  Survivors — Quitman  Guards,  Company  E,  Sixteenth 
Mississippi  Regiment,  Harris’  Brigade. 

Fort  Gregg  was  situated  about  two  miles  southwest  of  Peters- 
burg, Va.,  and  was  one  of  the  many  earthworks  or  redouts  that  Gen- 
eral Lee  had  constructed  for  artillery  in  the  rear  of  his  main  line  of 
defense  covering  the  cities  of  Richmond  and  Petersburg. 

Its  form  was  semi-circular — a space  was  left  open  in  the  rear  for 
the  entrance  of  wagons  and  artillery.  The  earth  was  thrown  up 


HISTORY  OR  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


231 


from  the  outside  forming  a ditch  12  or  14  feet  wide  and  from  4 to  6 
feet  deep — the  walls  were  from  6 to  8 feet  wide  at  the  top  and  the 
ground  on  the  inside  next  to  the  wall  was  raised  for  the  cannon  and 
for  men  to  stand  on.  A considerable  amount  of  artillery  ammunition 
was  in  the  fort,  consisting  of  grape,  canister,  bomb  shells  and  solid 
shot,  stacked  in  pyramid  form. 

The  disaster  on  the  right  wing  of  General  Lee’s  army  at  Five 
Forks,  causing  the  loss  of  the  South  Side  railroad,  forced  the  evacu- 
ation of  Petersburg  and  Richmond  The  position  at  and  near  Fort 
Gregg  evidently  Was  and  became  of  great  importance  at  this  time  to 
that  portion  of  our  army  in  the  trenches  around  Petersburg,  as  it 
covered  the  pontoon  bridges  that  had  been  thrown  across  the  Appo- 
mattox river,  west  of  the  town,  over  which  the  artillery  wagon  trains 
and  troops  were  crossing  in  their  retreat. 

During  the  latter  part  of  March,  1865,  our  brigade,  composed  of 
the  12th,  1 6th,  19th  and  48th  Mississippi  regiments,  commanded  by 
Gen.  N.  H.  Harris,  occupied  a position  between  the  Appomattox 
and  James  rivers,  watching  and  guarding  the  line  from  Dutch  Gap 
on  the  James,  southward  in  a deployed  line. 

About  2 o’clock  on  Sunday  morning,  the  2nd  of  April,  1865,  we 
received  orders  to  move,  leaving  about  one-third  of  our  men  on  the 
picket  line  in  front  of  this  position.  We  marched  rapidly  in  the 
direction  of  Petersburg,  following  the  Richmond  and  Petersburg 
Turnpike  road  until  within  about  two  miles  of  Petersburg  we  left 
the  main  road,  turned  to  the  right  and  crossed  the  Appomattox  river 
on  a pontoon  bridge  about  two  miles  west  of  the  town.  We  then 
crossed  the  South  Side  railroad  and  marched  by  the  Forts  Gregg  and 
Alexander  (or  Whitworth,  as  it  is  called  by  some). 

We  moved  to  a position  about  four  hundred  yards  in  front  of 
these  Forts,  and  formed  in  line  of  battle  with  skirmishers  well  thrown 
out  to  the  front.  Every  foot  of  ground  was  familiar  to  us,  for  here 
we  had  spent  the  greater  part  of  the  preceding  winter  and  had 
guarded  this  part  of  our  line  for  several  months — our  old  uncovered 
winter  quarters  were  just  behind  us.  Long  lines  of  Federal  infantry 
were  advancing  on  our  front;  batteries  of  artillery  were  coming  into 


232 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


position,  and  as  far  as  we  could  see  to  the  right  and  left  the  enemy’s 
guns  and  bayonets  glistened  in  the  rays  of  the  morning  sun  now  well 
up  over  the  hills  in  the  east.  Our  skirmishers  soon  became  hotly 
engaged  in  our  front,  and  the  leaden  hail  was  striking  our  ranks. 

“Stand  like  iron,  my  brave  boys,” 

Said  General  Harris,  as  he  walked  along  the  line. 

“Stand  like  iron.” 

Our  skirmishers  were  soon  driven  in  and  our  brigade  opened  fire 
on  the  advancing  Federal  line  with  deadly  aim  and  effect.  They 
gained  the  shelter  of  a sunken  road  about  150  yards  in  front  of  us. 
Continuous  firing  was  kept  up  from  this  position  for  about  one  hour. 
On  the  right  and  left  of  this  position  the  F ederal  troops  continued  to 
advance,  threatening  to  enfilade  us  on  both  flanks.  Quite  a number 
of  our  men  fell  killed  and  wounded  in  this  position.  General  Harris, 
seeing  that  our  position  was  untenable,  ordered  us  to  fall  back  to 
the  shelter  of  the  Forts  Gregg  and  Alexander.  Leaving  a skirmish 
line  to  hold  the  enemy  in  check,  our  brigade  began  the  backward 
move  in  a storm  of  shot  from  the  enemy’s  sheltered  position  in  the 
sunken  road  and  the  crest  of  hills  on  the  right  and  left  flanks,  behind 
which  they  were  rapidly  increasing  in  strength.  General  Harris 
led  the  greater  part  of  the  brigade  into  Fort  Alexander  and  Lieut. 
Col.  Duncan,  of  the  19th  Mississippi  regiment,  led  the  remainder, 
about  250  men,  principally  from  the  12th  and  16th  Mississippi  regi- 
ments, into  Fort  Gregg.  The  enemy,  discovering  this  movement,  rushed 
forward  with  loud  huzzas,  and  our  skirmishers  were  pressed  back 
over  the  open  field  by  overwhelming  numbers,  but  taking  the  ad- 
vantage of  every  protection  the  ground  afforded  to  rest  a moment 
and  load — they  never  failed  to  give  them  a parting  salute  as  they 
retired  from  one  position  to  another.  During  this  time  the  men  in 
the  fort  had  gathered  all  the  loose  grass  they  could  find  scattered 
over  the  field  around  and  near  the  fort.  The  Federal  forces  had 
advanced  to  this  place  early  in  the  morning  (before  we  arrived),  but 
had  been  driven  away  by  Gen.  A.  P.  Hill,  leaving  quite  a number  of 
rifles  scattered  over  the  field.  The  men  quickly  gathered  them  to- 
gether—not  forgetting  their  experience  in  the  “Bloody  Angle”  at 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


233 


Spottsylvania,  May  12,  1864,  when  they  used  the  enemy’s  guns 
against  them  that  they  had  captured,  practically  giving  them  the 
advantage  of  repeating  rifles,  as  they  had  from  two  to  four  guns  each, 
all  loaded.  In  addition  to  the  artillery  ammunition  in  Fort  Gregg, 
there  were  also  several  boxes  of  rifle  ammunition,  about  1,000  rounds 
to  the  box. 

About  the  time  that  we  were  as  well  prepared  as  we  could  be 
under  the  circumstances,  the  enemy  appeared  in  such  overwhelming 
numbers  that  Colonel  Duncan  decided  to  evacuate  the  fort.  We 
marched  out  of  the  fort  to  the  rear  about  one  hundred  yards,  where 
we  met  a carrier  who  handed  Colonel  Duncan  a paper  which  he  read 
aloud : 

“Hold  the  fort  at  all  hazards.” 

(Signed)  R.  E.  Lee. 

The  men  immediately  returned  to  the  fort,  as  no  other  order  was 
necessary,  and  resumed  their  positions  around  the  walls. 

Our  soldiers  understood  the  conditions  and  every  one  knew  that 
he  must  delay  the  advance  of  the  enemy  to  gain  time  for  his  comrades. 
The  Federal  troops  at  this  time  had  reached  a point  about  300  yards  in 
front  of  Fort  Gregg,  and  were  moving  on  Fort  Alexander  at  the  same 
time  behind  or  under  cover  of  our  old  winter  quarters,  huts  which 
had  been  set  on  fire,  and  the  smoke  obscured  their  movements. 
Fort  Alexander  (or  Whitworth)  was  about  300  yards  to  the  right  of 
Fort  Gregg,  and  was  at  this  time  under  the  command  of  General 
Harris.  The  fighting  on  other  parts  of  the  line  to  our  right  and  left 
stops  for  a while  as  if  the  men  were  watching  the  results  of  the  move- 
ments about  Fort  Gregg.  Colonel  Duncan  watches  the  men  and 
tells  them  not  to  fire  until  the  word  is  given.  With  his  sword  flashing 
in  the  sunlight  of  that  beautiful  Sunday  morning,  he  insists  (with  his 
appeals  to  the  state  pride  of  Mississippi)  that  we  should  obey  his 
orders.  All  around  the  walls  of  Fort  Gregg  was  the  cry  of  the 
officers,  “Keep  down  men,  keep  down,” — officers  who  had  never 
quailed  on  any  field  from  first  Manassas  to  that  hour — to  name  their 
record  would  be  to  write  the  history  of  the  army  of  Northern  Vir- 


234 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


ginia  soldiers  that  knew  them,  with  their  suspension  drawn  to  a 
tension  indescribable,  yielded  to  the  order,  and  waited  with  apparent 
patience  until  that  magnificent  line  of  Federal  soldiers  was  within 
less  than  one  hundred  yards  of  us,  and  not  the  flash  of  a single  rifle 
had  yet  defied  them.  The  last  order  of  our  officers,  “steady  boys,” 
was  interrupted  by  the  cracking  of  the  rifles  sending  their  death 
dealing  missiles  with  telling  effect.  Gibbon’s  men  fall  fast  and 
thick — his  line  staggers  and  finally  breaks  in  confusion,  seeking 
shelter  behind  the  crest  of  a ridge.  A great  cheer  went  up  from  our 
lines  on  the  right  and  left  and  our  boys  responded  with  their  cus- 
tomary yell  of  triumph  from  Fort  Gregg.  Reinforcements  were 
hurried  forward  by  the  enemy  from  their  sheltered  position  behind 
the  hill,  and  their  second  line  came  forward  at  a double  quick,  in 
broken  and  scattered  ranks.  We  opened  on  them  at  a distance  of 
three  hundred  yards,  firing  as  fast  as  we  could.  They  staggered  up 
within  one  hundred  yards  of  us,  when  the  greater  part  of  their  line 
broke  and  ran  back  under  cover.  The  balance,  perhaps  three  or  four 
hundred,  reached  the  ditch  in  our  front — they  were  not  strong  enough 
to  take  us  and  could  not  retreat  without  running  the  gauntlet  of 
death.  Before  we  could  turn  our  attention  to  the  enemy  in  the. 
ditch,  reinforcements  were  hurried  to  their  assistance  and  a third 
line  came  rushing  on  us  with  loud  huzzas,  from  their  covered  position 
behind  the  hill,  but  in  broken  and  scattered  ranks.  The  greater 
part  of  them  succeeded  in  getting  in  the  ditch  and  completely  sur- 
rounding us.  During  this  time  the  men  in  Fort  Alexander  assisted 
Fort  Gregg  to  some  extent  with  an  enfilading  fire  from  that  fort.  It 
seems  that  General  Harris  at  this  moment,  seeing  and  believing  that 
we  were  captured,  evacuated  Fort  Alexander  to  save  his  men.  Our 
men  deployed  so  as  to  cover  every  part  of  the  walls  of  the  fort  and 
detailed  twenty-five  men  to  hold  the  gate  in  the  rear.  Now  the 
solid  shot,  cannon  balls  and  bomb  shells  found  in  the  fort  came  into 
use.  Our  men  hurled  them  on  the  heads  of  the  enemy  in  the  ditch. 
The  fuses  of  the  bomb  shells  were  fired  and  rolled  on  them.  This 
Work  did  not  stop  until  all  or  nearly  all  of  the  solid  cannon  balls  and 
shells  were  gone.  Brick  chimneys  built  to  tents  for  artillery  men 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


235 


were  thrown  down  and  the  bricks  thrown  at  the  enemy.  Numbers 
of  efforts  to  scale  the  walls  were  made,  but  the  Federal  soldiers  would 
not  act  together  and  consequently  the  most  daring  ones  were  shot 
down  on  the  Walls  and  fell  on  their  comrades  below.  A color-bearer 
fell  on  the  fort  with  his  flag,  falling  over  on  our  side.  During  all 
this  time  the  men  at  the  gate  were  engaged  in  a death  struggle  and 
the  last  one  fell  at  his  post.  The  Federal  troops  having  no  further 
resistance  there  began  pouring  in  from  the  rear  and  firing  as  they  came. 
So  many  of  our  men  had  now  fallen  that  the  resistance  was  weak 
all  around,  and  the  Federal  troops  began  pouring  over  the  walls  where 
a hand  to  hand  encounter  ensued  on  the  crest,  and  our  brave  men 
went  down  in  death.  Quiet  soon  followed  and  about  thirty  sur- 
vivors were  marched  to  the  rear  as  prisoners  of  war  and  sent  to  Point 
Lookout  prison. 

General  Harris  evacuated  Fort  Alexander  about  the  time  we 
were  surrounded  and  made  his  way  to  the  balance  of  the  army  in 
the  retreat  to  Appomattox  C.  H.  The  men  of  our  brigade  left  on  the 
fines  between  the  Appomattox  and  the  James  also  were  in  the  re- 
treat and  the  final  surrender  at  Appomattox. 

Our  brave  Lieut.  Col.  Duncan  was  left  in  Fort  Gregg,  wounded  in 
the  head  in  an  unconscious  condition,  rolling  in  the  blood  of  his 
fallen  comrades,  when  we  were  marched  out. 

Our  bullet-ridden  flag  that  had  been  borne  proudly  on  so  many 
victorious  fields  had  been  planted  upon  its  last  rampart,  waived  its 
last  defiance  and  gone  down  on  the  bodies  and  laved  in  the  blood  of 
its  brave  followers  and  defenders,  who  here  made  a chapter  for  the 
stories  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  and  left  a gem  for  their 
mother  State  to  place  in  the  crown  of  her  soldiers  who  had  responded 
to  her  call  to  arms  and  faithfully  performed  their  last  duty. 


236 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


HOW  FORT  GREGG  WAS  DEFENDED. 

LIEUT. -COL.  JAMES  HENDERSON  DUNCAN. 

Lieut. -Col.  James  Henderson  Duncan,  who  commanded  at  Fort  Gregg  in 
the  last  bloody  struggle  near  Petersburg,  was  a son  of  Dr.  Isaac  A.  and  Isabella 
Lucinda  Craig  Duncan,  and  was  bom  at  Mount  Pleasant,  in  Maury  County, 
Tennessee,  on  the  15th  of  March,  1839,  and  was  thirty-five  years  of  age  when 


Lieutenant  Colonel  James  Henderson  Duncan 
Who  commanded  the  Mississippians  at  Fort  Gregg 


this  battle  was  fought.  In  1840  his  father  moved  to  Sarepta,  Miss.,  in  that 
portion  of  the  State  now  Calhoun  County.  Col.  Duncan  was  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  at  Oxford  when  the  war  began,  and  at  the  first  call  of 
arms  he  enlisted  as  third  lieutenant  in  Comjany  A,  Nineteenth  Mississippi, 
under  Capt.  Dr.  John  Smith.  Later  he  was  promoted  to  captain  and  rose  to 
lieutenant-colonel,  by  gradation.  Dr.  Isaac  Alexander  Duncan,  Lieutenant- 
Colonel  Duncan’s  father,  was  bom  in  Smith  County,  Tennessee,  in  1810,  came 
to  Mississippi  in  1840,  was  member  of  convention  in  1850,  and  served  in  the  lower 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


237 


House  of  the  Mississippi  Legislature  from  Calhoun  County  in  1858,  1859  and 
i860.  His  father  was  from  Maryland,  and  was  a soldier  of  the  revolution. 

David  Craig,  the  father  of  Colonel  Duncan’s  mother,  was  bom  at  Chapel 
Hill,  N.  C.,  and  his  father  was  a revolutionary  soldier. 

Colonel  Duncan  recovered  from  the  wound  received  at  Fort  Gregg  and  re- 
turned, after  the  close  of  the  war,  to  his  home  in  Mississippi,  where  he  died 
some  ten  or  twelve  years  after  the  war. 

The  seeds  of  grief  had  been  scattered  all  over  the  land  and  every- 
where the  mantle  of  sorrow  was  to  be  seen.  Here  where  noble  aspi- 
rations had  been  cultivated,  where  love  lived,  where  beauty  crowned 
the  thresholds  of  the  homes  of  Pike  County,  deach  had  cast  its  sombre 
shadows.  Men  who  had  gone  to  the  war  flushed  with  majestic  man- 
hood, were  shattered  in  health  or  driven  to  the  ultimate  fate  which 
awaits  those  who  offer  themselves  as  a sacrifice  upon  their  country’s 
altar.  Ages  ago  the  heralds  of  destiny  brought  the  messages  that 
gave  hope  to  a brave  people,  but  here  in  the  ruins  which  blackened 
the  once  beautiful  South,  a veil  of  gloom  fell  over  the  vision  of  those 
crushed  by  the  hand  of  a powerful  and  unfeeling  foe. 

When  the  news  came  of  Lee’s  surrender,  mothers  went  down  on 
their  knees  and  prayed  that  their  loved  ones  might  be  spared  to 
crown  their  happiness  in  the  years  to  come,  but  with  many  the  Angel 
of  Death  had  stalked  and  bowed  them  down  in  grief.  Many  waited 
and  prayed  in  vain.  The  crucible  of  war  had  consumed  the  objects 
of  their  love  and  hopes.  When  the  end  came  it  was  an  end  indeed. 

The  Southern  cross  that  fluttered  proudly  and  defiantly  for  four 
years,  -went  down  in  a halo  of  imperishable  glory;  sanctified  with 
the  blood  of  the  chivalrous  and  brave,  and  was  furled  forever  at 
Appomattox  April  9,  1865,  and  its  tablet  of  memory,  inscribed 
with  the  following  lines  written  by  the  South’s  poet  priest,  Father 
Ryan. 

THE  CONQUERED  BANNER. 

Furl  that  banner,  for  ’tis  weary; 

Round  its  staff  ’tis  drooping  dreary; 

Furl  it,  fold  it,  it  is  best, 

For  there's  not  a man  to  wave  it, 

And  there’s  not  a sword  to  save  it, 

And  there’s  not  one  left  to  lave  it 
In  the  blood  which  heroes  gave  it. 

Furl  it,  hide  it — let  it  rest. 


238 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Furl  that  banner!  True,  ’tis  gory, 
Yet  ’tis  wreathed  around  with  glory 
And  ’twill  live  in  song  and  story, 
Though  its  folds  are  in  the  dust, 

For  its  fame  on  brightest  pages, 
Penned  by  poets  and  by  sages, 

Shall  go  sounding  down  the  ages — 
Furl  its  folds  though  now  we  must. 

Furl  that  banner  softly,  slowly, 

Treat  it  gently,  it  is  holy, 

For  it  droops  above  the  dead! 
Touch  it  not,  unfold  it  never, 

Let  it  droop  there  furled  forever, 

For  its  peoples’  hopes  are  dead. 


When  the  leaders  of  the  Southern  armies  accepted  the  terms  of 
surrender  to  the  United  States  forces  they  bound  their  people  to  an 
observance  of  its  authority  and  when  the  shattered  remnants  of 
those  armies,  yielding  only  to  overpowering  numbers,  came  back  to 
their  homes  they  meant  to  be  true  to  the  terms  imposed  upon  them, 
but  when  the  government  itself  disregarded  the  objects  contemplated 
in  the  terms  of  surrender,  the  situation  changed. 

After  the  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the  Northern  presi- 
dent, with  which  the  South  had  nothing  whatever  to  do,  all  the  venom 
of  a furious  enemy  was  forced  to  the  front  to  take  revenge,  the  mag- 
nitude of  which  will  scarcely  be  conceived  by  those  living  after 
the  enactment  of  these  horrible  scenes.  It  was  related  to  the  writer 
by  a gentleman  who  was  closely  connected  with  the  Confederacy, 
and  who  was  a prisoner  at  the  time  in  Washington, (a  bit  of  suppressed 
history)  that  at  a meeting  of  nine  Northern  governors,  headed  by 
Governor  Curtin  of  Pennsylvania,  and  members  of  the  cabinet,  that 
a resolution  was  passed  to  arrest  and  execute  all  Southern  leaders 
from  Jefferson  Davis  down.  It  was  referred  to  General  Grant,  who 
refused  to  countenance  it,  but  asserted  he  would  use  the  entire  army 
of  the  government  to  protect  them  and  the  men  who  had  accepted 
his  terms  of  surrender.  R.  S.  McCollough,  the  renowned  Confederate 
chemist,  whose  invented  explosives  sent  so  many  Yankee  vessels 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


239 


to  the  bottom,  and  who  was  one  of  the  men  included  in  the  intended 
holocaust  of  vengeance,  subsequently  connected  with  the  Louisiana 
State  University,  at  Baton  Rouge,  in  1881,  related  this  circumstance 
to  the  writer  himself  as  a fact  while  a guest  of  his  and  his  family  in 
the  suite  of  rooms  occupied  by  them  in  the  Jadot  Hotel,  in  the  city  of 
Baton  Rouge,  and  how  his  little  daughter,  Grade,  then  only  9 years 
of  age,  went  to  see  President  Andrew  Johnson,  and,  sitting  upon 
his  knees,  begged  that  the  life  of  her  father  be  spared. 

Colonel  McCollough  was  captured  at  Richmond  at  the  time  of 
its  evacuation  by  the  Confederate  forces  and  was  conveyed  to  Wash- 
ington in  a closed  carriage,  confined  there  in  prison  and  was  informed 
of  the  conspiracy  above  alluded  to.  But  when  General  Grant  gave  it 
the  black  eye — a crime  so  revolting  and  perfidious  as  to  cast  an 
eternal  stigma  on  his  own  name  and  honor,  the  conspirators  retired 
and  suppressed  a record  of  their  meeting  and  resolutions.  All  North- 
ern writers  have  carefully  eluded  any  mention  of  it,  if  they  knew  of 
it.  In  later  years  some  of  them  who  have  been  disposed  to  be  fair  in 
speaking  of  President  Davis’  unjust  imprisonment  and  treatment  at 
Fortress  Monroe,  have  hinted  at  it  only,  but  in  such  terms  as  to  indi- 
cate a knowledge  of  it. 


CAPTURE  OF  DAVIS. 

There  were  so  many  lies  published  in  Northern  papers  immedi- 
ately after  the  war  and  persistently  continued  and  believed  by  a 
large  class  of  Northern  people  about  Mr.  Davis  being  captured  in  the 
disguise  of  a woman’s  apparel,  and  pictures  of  the  same  scattered 
everywhere,  and  even  pretended  to  be  believed  by  some  to  this  day, 
that  it  would  be  proper  to  insert  the  facts  here. 

He  had  fled  from  Richmond  upon  the  evacuation  of  Petersburg 
by  General  Lee’s  army,  with  his  guard,  with  the  purpose  of  joining 
Kirby  Smith  or  Magruder  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  was  in 
camp  near  Irvinsville,  Ga.,  where  he  had  joined  his  family.  On  the 
rainy  morning  of  May  18,  1865,  the  President’s  guard  had  surrendered 
and  what  followed  is  here  reproduced  from  an  article  written  by  Mr. 
T.  C.  DeLeon,  in  New  Orleans  Picayune. 


240 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Through  the  dim  pre-dawn  a troop  of  Wilson’s  cavalry  dashed 
into  his  camp  by  chance.  His  old  instinct  told  him  the  truth  and  he 
whispered  to  his  wife  that  they  were  regulars,  and  all  was  lost.  Rapidly 
he  told  his  plan,  the  troopers  deployed  and  with  leveled  carbines. 
He  would  (with  the  old  West  Point  trick)  seize  the  foot  of  the  nearest 
rider,  hurl  him  from  saddle  and  vault  into  it,  flying  for  liberty  or  for 
quick  death  into  the  dense  woods— thence,  alone  to  the  Mississippi. 
As  he  spoke,  he  grasped  his  pistol,  creeping  stealthily  to  the  nearest 
horsemen’s  side.  Already  in  the  damp  morning  Mrs.  Davis  had 
thrown  about  his  shoulders  the  light,  sleeveless  raglan  from  her  own 
shoulders.  While  he  spoke  the  last  words,  she  threw  about  his  neck 
the  small,  square  shawl  she  wore. 

But  it  was  too  late  for  the  West  Point  trick,  or  for  any  escape,  the 
destined  object  of  attack  wheeled  his  carbine  and  a dozen  more 
centered  on  the  one  man,  as  locks  clicked.  With  a scream,  the  wife 
threw  herself  between  him  and  their  muzzles,  and  the  end  had  come. 

But,  in  creeping  up  to  the  troopers  in  the  dim  light,  the  raglan 
and  the  shawl  had  both  fallen  from  the  husband’s  shoulders,  yards 
away  from  the  spot  where  he  was  seized. 

As  for  the  shawl,  its  “biography”  is  told  by  Mrs.  Clem  Clay  Clop- 
ton,  with  all  persiflage  on  dress  subjects.  In  her  book  describing  the 
trip  of  the  prisoner  to  Fort  Monroe,  on  the  William  P.  Clyde,  she  tells 
that  she  and  Mrs.  Davis  had  two  shawls  so  exactly  alike  that  neither 
knew  her  own.  One  of  these  his  wife  had  thrown  about  Mr.  Davis’ 
shoulders.  She  had  picked  it  up  when  dropped  unheeded  by  him. 
Both  ladies  had  these  shawls  on  the  voyage  to  prison. 

Mrs.  Clay’s  diary  was  written  while  she  was  at  sea,  a guarded 
prisoner  on  a United  States  ship,  and  precluded  from  possibility 
of  newspapers  and  the  wild  stories  filling  a superheated  Northern 
press  as  to  Mr.  Davis’  “disguise.”  She  gives  dates,  facts  and  names. 
Her  story  has  been  in  type  for  years.  It  is  still  uncontroverted. 

When  anchored  off  Fortress  Monroe  (the  diary  tells),  two  women 
were  sent  aboard  the  Clyde  to  search  the  persons  of  the  female  prison- 
ers for  treasonable  papers.  Then  Lieutenant  Hudson,  of  the  guard, 
demanded  of  Mrs.  Davis  her  shawl  as  proof  against  her  husband. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


241 


She  demurred;  but,  it  being  the  only  wrap  she  had,  Mrs.  Clay  took 
her  own  duplicate  shawl,  folded  it  within  Mrs.  Davis’  and  gave  them 
both  to  the  officer.  Later  Mrs.  Clay’s  shawl  was  returned,  a maid  of 
Mrs.  Davis  having  identified  hers,  and  that  is  the  shawl  formerly 
exhibited  in  Washington  and  recently  “exhumed  from  a disused 
drawer  in  the  War  Department.” 

Few  people  noted  its  earlier  exhibition  along  with  the  spurs, 
sleeveless  raglan,  etc.  Nobody,  North  or  South,  cared  a rush  whether 
they  had  been  refound  or  not.  Time,  the  cure-all  of  ills,  mental  or 
moral,  has  passed  the  episode. 

The  war  is  ended.  The  union  of  states  physically  restored  and 
the  14th  and  15th  amendments  to  the  Constitution  forced  upon  the 
South  by  Federal  bayonets,  through  compulsion  and  fraud,  stand 
as  an  insult  and  a curse  to  our  people  for  which  there  will  be  no  for- 
giveness until  they  are  repealed. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  high  price  of  cotton  in  1865  and  1866  was  a blessing  to  the 
people.  Large  quantities  had  been  hidden  away  in  nooks  and  cor- 
ners where  the  Yankees  could  not  find  it,  or  failed  to  do  so,  by  those 
who  were  exempt  from  military  service,  and  in  the  fall  after  the  sur- 
render a small  crop  was  gathered  which  brought  the  high  price  of 
fifty  cents  and  over.  This  gave  strength  to  the  merchants  who  were 
thus  enabled  to  help  the  farmers,  struggling  against  the  fretful  con- 
ditions that  prevailed.  All  the  merchants  in  Summit,  whose  business 
houses  had  been  swept  away  by  the  vandalism  of  Grierson’s  raiders, 
were  rebuilding  their  stores,  and  those  in  Holmesville,  Magnolia, 
Osyka  and  Tylertown  endeavored  to  place  themselves  in  condition 
to  meet  the  necessities  of  their  people.  The  demon  of  despotism  was 
an  ever  haunting  spector,  and  as  time  passed  the  evidences  accumu- 
lated, showing  the  trend  of  the  powers  to  subvert  their  cherished 

hopes.  Every  man  who  had  been  a soldier  of  the  Confederacy  Was 

16 


242 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Working  to  re-establish  himself  in  the  conditions  had  before  the  war, 
and  all  worked  to  rebuild  their  lost  fortunes. 

The  evils  which  surrounded  them  at  the  beginning  were  meas- 
ured by  the  power  of  endurance  given  them  under  the  train  of  events 
which  gave  to  their  past  a halo  of  glory.  All  the  elements  which 
went  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a powerful  endeavor  Were  centered  in 
their  great  hearts.  The  wails  of  the  widow  and  the  suffering  of  her 
children  were  heard  and  given  attention. 

When  freedom  vanished  with  the  fall  of  the  stars  and  bars,  the 
giant  monster  that  had  crushed  them  had  no  terrors  for  them  save 
the  dastard  attempt  to  supplant  them  with  the  recently  liberated 
negro  slaves.  They  had  been  deprived  of  their  arms,  but  a way 
was  provided  to  place  themselves  in  a position  to  meet  the  worst. 

In  his  admirable  book  on  the  “Ills  of  the  South”  Rev.  Charles 
H.  Otkin,  of  Pike  County,  has  given  in  his  first  chapter  a description 
of  conditions  prevailing  at  this  time,  1865,  so  truthfully  and  with 
language  so  appropriate  that  I am  pleased  to  be  permitted  to  copy 
from  it  as  follows: 


“chapter  I,  PAGE  I.” 

“the  condition  of  the  south  in  1865.” 

“Widespread  desolation  reigned  in  every  portion  of  the  South  in  1865. 
The.  war  of  the  States  was  ended.  The  South  had  staked  all — lives  and  for- 
tunes— upon  a principle,  and  lost.  The  four  years’  struggle,  with  its  hopes 
and  its  fears,  was  behind  them;  defeat,  with  all  its  vast  significance,  was  before 
them.  The  Southern  soldiers  returned  to  their  homes.  It  is  not  too  much 
to  say  that  a large  majority  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Confederate  armies  had  homes. 
But  these  homes  of  comfort  and  plenty  in  1861  were  not  those  to  which  they 
returned  after  the  surrender.  A great  change  had  swept  over  them.  Four 
years’  ruthless  war  had  left  indelible  marks.  Time,  with  its  ravages,  the  mis- 
management of  farms  and  plantations  left  largely  in  charge  of  the  negroes, 
the  vandalism  of  armies  in  the  destruction  of  property,  had  made  hideous 
alterations  in  the  condition  of  the  country.  Dilapidated  dwellings,  fences  out 
of  repair  and  in  many  instances  burned,  sugar-houses  and  gin-houses  damaged 
or  in  ruins,  were  seen  everywhere.  Farms  once  producing  profitable  crops 
were  now  grown  up  in  broomsage.  The  chimneys  of  hundreds  of  comfortable 
dwellings  furnished  the  only  evidence  that  these  places  were  once  the  abode  of 
human  habitation.  Cattle  and  live  stock  of  every  description  were  largely 
diminished.  Everywhere  devastation  met  the  eye. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


243 


“The  Southern  farmers  commenced  life  anew  under  many  and  disheartening 
disadvantages.  Not  a few  were  well  advanced  in  years,  and  had  large  families. 
There  was  mourning  throughout  the  Southland.  Many  husbands,  fathers,  and 
sons  slept  on  distant  battlefields,  never  to  return.  Thousands  of  widows  were 
left  penniless.  The  gloom  was  appalling,  and  the  people  were  poor.  Those 
that  had  something  left  were  ill-prepared  to  help  their  poorer  neighbors.  Hun- 
dreds returned  maimed  in  body.  There  was  nothing  to  relieve  these  scenes  of 
ruin,  save  the  brave,  resolute  determination  to  commence  the  hard  struggle  for 
existence.” 

The  order  of  Thaddeus  Stephens  had  been  executed.  The  procla- 
mation of  Abraham  Lincoln  had  been  consummated  at  the  cost  of 
three  billions  of  treasure  to  his  government,  a million  of  human  lives 
of  his  Own  white  race,  and  the  widespread  ruin  of  the  fairest  land  on 
earth;  the  habitation  of  his  countrymen,  the  descendants  of  those 
who  had  been  the  founders  of  the  government  he  represented  and 
devoted  adherents  to  its  principles.  Four  million  negroes  amanci- 
pated,  valued  at  over  two  billion  of  dollars,  without  compensation 
to  the  owners,  thus  carrying  out  the  resolution  of  the  American  Anti- 
slavery Society  held  at  Philadelphia,  all  done  under  the  cry  of  “save 
the  Union.” 

Mr.  Otken  further  says: 

“Four  million  negroes  were  not  only  free,  but  were  invested  with  civil 
rights.  What  a novel  condition!  What  a tremendous  experiment!  ” 

At  this  stage  a most  novel  condition  was  presented  by  the  ex- 
negro slaves. 

The  sudden  close  of  the  war  and  the  knowledge  of  emancipation 
struck  the  great  mass  of  them  with  amazement.  They  were  living 
with  their  families  in  comfortable  homes,  on  the  plantations  of  their 
masters,  who  had  always  provided  for  them.  They  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  the  responsibility  which  emancipation  had  cast  upon  their 
own  shoulders.  They  had  nothing  on  earth  with  which  to  begin 
life;  not  a mouthful  of  food,  not  a stitch  of  clothing,  not  a cent  of 
money,  not  a shelter  to  protect  them  from  the  weather  except  that 
which  came  through  the  tender  humanity  of  their  former  masters. 
The  impulse  Was  to  leave  their  old  homes  and  go  somewhere  else. 
Think  of  it!  Four  million  ignorant  slaves  suddenly  liberated  and 


244 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


thus  actuated  and  no  provision  made  by  the  government  to  care 
for  them.  Were  their  old  masters  bound  to  do  it?  They  were  penni- 
less, too.  But  the  negro  men  by  the  thousands  scattered  hither  and 
thither,  leaving  their  wives  and  helpless  children  at  the  old  planta- 
tion quarters  to  be  taken  care  of  by  “de  white  folks.”  The  majority 
of  slave  owners  who  could  manage  to  provide  for  them  tried  to  keep 
them  at  home  to  finish  their  crops  with  such  wages  as  the  conditions 
justified.  Those  who  could  not  provide  for  them  had  to  let  them' 
go,  and  they  could  not  undertake  to  take  care  of  the  women  and 
children  when  the  men  were  gone  and  the  bulk  of  the  farm  work 
left  undone.  They  flocked  to  the  military  camps  in  great  droves, 
men  and  women,  with  complaints  of  inhuman  treatment  and  stories 
of  barbarity,  and  the  Yankee  officer,  who  was  bred  and  bom  and 
brought  up  to  the  period  of  donning  the  brass  button  in  the  belief 
that  the  negro  Was  a peer  of  himself,  believed  these  stories,  and  this 
resulted  in  squads  of  cavalry  and  infantry  being  sent  over  the  coun- 
try to  investigate  them,  thus  eternally  harassing  the  white  people 
and  overturning  their  efforts  to  bring  about  a just  equilibrium  be- 
tween themselves  and  these  ex-slaves.  Thus  fell  upon  the  authori- 
ties a new  problem.  They  had  just  disbanded  a couple  of  million 
of  soldiers,  but  it  was  about  to  incur  the  greater  responsibility  of 
giving  subsistence  to  four  millions  of  ex-slaves  who,  if  they  ever  had 
a thought  of  the  necessity  of  labor  for  support,  it  was  blotted  out 
when  freedom  was  announced  to  them  by  their  old  masters,  and  the 
“year  of  jubelo”  had  dawned,  which  condition  was  not  mentioned 
in  the  emancipation  programme.  The  military  Were  driven  to  the 
necessity  of  organizing  a Written  contract  system  in  order  to  force 
the  negroes  to  remain  on  the  plantations  and  relieve  themselves  of 
the  burden.  This  system,  while  it  Was  the  best  that  could  be  done 
at  the  time,  Was  fruitful  of  great  vexation  and  trouble.  All  infringe- 
ments or  violations  of  the  contract  must  be  referred  to  the  military 
authorities. 

The  Southern  white  man  and  ex-Confederate  soldier,  in  his  man- 
agement of  the  negro  as  a slave,  Was  content  only  with  obedience  to 
his  orders  and  instructions;  but  the  negroes,  having  been  received 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


245 


with  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  and  brotherly  love  by  the  epanleted 
fraternity  and  his  conceit  galvanized,  in  the  course  of  a very  few 
weeks  began  to  show  his  contempt  for  the  “boss,”  and  hence  sprung 
an  endless  stir  and  flurry  and  military  investigation  of  violated  con- 
tracts. Under  this  system  the  negroes  were  required  to  procure 
passes  from  their  employers  when  they  wished  to  go  away  from  the 
plantations.  This  was  adopted  to  put  a stop  to  their  indiscriminate 
roaming  and  desertion  of  their  own  families  and  to  give  relief  to  the 
authorities.  The  pass  system  was  productive  of  much  good,  but  it 
was  also  productive  of  much  evil. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  the  country  was  infested  with  many  bad 
characters  who  had  no  regard  for  law  and  order,  nor  for  the  rehabil- 
itation of  the  country.  They  were  usually  roaming  characters,  with 
no  fixed  abode,  and  whose  means  of  support  was  a question  to  those 
who  had  borne  the  brunt  of  the  struggle  and  had  returned  to  their 
homes  with  their  minds  directed  to  the  restoration  of  peaceful  con- 
ditions and  prosperity.  The  planters  Were  not  always  strict  about 
giving  trusty  negroes  passes,  and  it  occasionally  happened  when  one 
should  accidentally  be  met  by  the  characters  above  alluded  to  it 
resulted  in  an  inhuman  flogging  and  sometimes  a more  severe  pun- 
ishment. Then  the  military  were  resorted  to  for  redress,  every- 
body in  the  region  held  accountable  and  the  reins  tightened  on  all. 
Social  intercourse  between  the  negroes  and  the  Federal  soldiers, 
without  regard  to  color,  became  a fixed  reality  and  their  camps  on 
Sundays  and  other  times  were  scenes  of  social  intercourse.  Mis- 
cegination  Was  openly  inculcated  and  practiced,  and  the  negroes 
were  taught  by  the  Yankee  soldiers,  in  1865  and  1866  what,  in  three 
hundred  years,  they  had  never  learned  from  Southern  white  people. 
This  may  truthfully  be  said  to  be  the  beginning  of  race  troubles 
after  emancipation.  The  negro  men  seeing  and  having  a knowledge 
of  the  intimate  relations  between  white  Federal  soldiers  and  officers 
with  negro  women  and  openly  taught  equality,  led  them  to  desire  an 
equal  opportunity  with  white  women,  but  there  was  a barrier  that 
stood  between  them  and  the  white  women,  and  they  knew  it.  It 
Was  a gun  and  a Southern  white  man  behind  it.  There  was  no  stat- 


246 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


utory  law  that  could  be  brought  into  play  to  prohibit  intermarriage, 
nothing  except  the  inflexible  principle  and  will  of  the  Southron. 
But  miscegin ation  was  conceived  and  bom  through  the  instrumental- 
ity of  the  Federal  army  stationed  in  the  South — in  Mississippi — in 
Pike  County,  and  through  an  influx  of  Northern  carpetbag  negro- 
phites  who  married  negro  women.  There  was  one  instance  in  Pike 
County  where  a white  girl  was  persuaded  to  run  away  with  a young 
negro  man,  which  resulted  in  the  parties  being  overtaken,  the  girl 
rescued  and  the  negro  escaped. 

One  can  scarcely  conceive  how  gradually,  but  how  quickly,  the 
situation  dawned  to  excite  :he  fears  of  the  white  people  of  the  South 
in  regard  to  dangers  threatening  their  race.  One  who  has  lived 
through  it  and  taken  a part  in  the  events  and  changes  of  the  times 
can  more  fully,  perhaps,  appreciate  the  wide  world  calamity  that 
stared  them  in  the  face  then  and  which  leads  to  a recital  of  circum- 
stances following  in  these  pages. 

There  was  a chivalric  principle  implanted  in  the  bosoms  of  those 
who  had  given  their  services  in  the  cause  which  had  succumbed  to 
overpowering  numbers,  and  the  love  they  bore  for  cheir  women  who 
had  passed  through  the  crucible  with  them  was  such  that  nothing 
must  come  between  them  to  contaminate  their  blood  or  mar  their 
existing  relations.  The  Confederate  soldier,  with  trained  eye  and 
experience,  saw  with  deep  concern  the  danger  which  threatened  and 
was  increasing  in  the  intimate  relations  and  intercourse  of  Federal 
white  soldiers  and  intermarriage  of  white  men  from  the  North  with 
negro  women  and  encouragement  given  to  amalgamation  of  the 
races.  The  protection  given  the  negroes,  as  they  viewed  it,  by  the 
soldiers,  and  the  unmistakable  partiality  extended  to  them  in  all 
controversies  between  them  and  their  late  masters,  made  them  in- 
solant  and  created  a spirit  of  defiance,  encouraged  by  the  Federal 
troops  which  was  soon  followed  by  insults  and  crimes.  In  the  towns 
and  cities  Yankee  white  soldiers  thought  nothing  of  walking  arm 
in  arm  with  negro  women,  and  negroes  would  shove  white  women 
off  the  banquettes.  There  was  no  redress  to  be  had.  Complaint  to 
the  military  authorities  was  contemptuously  ignored;  protection 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


247 


Was  thrown  around  the  culprit;  insolence  encouraged  and  white 
men  and  women  turned  aside  in  favor  of  the  negroes.  Amid  these 
gathering  disturbances  the  great  Southern  heart  swelled  with  deep 
mortification  and  indignation  and  lifted  itself  above  the  ashes  of 
desolation,  and  the  impending  degradation  and  ruin  that  seemed 
about  to  engulf  their  Caucasian  civilization. 

When  the  armies  were  disbanded  and  the  Confederate  soldiers 
who  had  survived  returned  to  their  homes,  relying  on  the  generosity 
of  their  former  enemies,  as  manifested  by  General  Grant  at  Appomat- 
tox, they  believed  that  with  the  restoration  of  peace,  and  left  un- 
trammeled to  the  task  of  providing  subsistence  for  their  dependents 
and  the  rebuilding  of  their  lost  fortunes,  the  country  would  recover, 
in  a measure,  in  a few  years.  But  the  vindictiveness  of  the  Northern 
States  was  not  yet  abated,  and  the  storm  that  arose  over  the  unfor- 
tunate assassination  of  President  Lincoln  burst  out  with  fury  and 
revenge  on  the  South  as  the  conspirator  and  perpetrator  of  the  crime. 
And  hence  United  States  soldiers  were  stationed  everywhere  in  the 
South  to  overawe  them  and  further  crush  their  hopes.  A company 
of  negro  troops  were  stationed  at  Holmesville,  in  Pike  County.  No 
white  person  was  allowed  to  keep  firearms  of  any  description,  and 
thus  the  people  were  forcibly  reminded  of  the  cold  blooded  answer 
of  Abraham  Lincoln  when  he  was  to  issue  his  emancipation  procla- 
mation in  1863,  and  Mr.  Wm.  H.  Seward,  his  Secretary,  who  had 
lived  in  the  South,  expressed  his  great  fear  of  the  horrors  that  would 
ensue  by  the  insurrection  of  the  negroes  who  might  rise  and  butcher 
the  wives  and  children  of  the  Confederates  behind  their  armies: 

"It  is  time  for  us  to  know  whether  these  people  are  for  or  against 
us.” 

Where  should  they  turn  for  hope?  What  herald  Would  bring 
them  the  tidings?  Everything  gone,  disarmed,  manacled,  and  the 
despot’s  heel  stamping  out  the  last  glimmer  of  freedom!  It  was  a 
solemn  hour;  their  wives  and  sisters  and  mothers  and  daughters 
and  widows  and  orphans  of  their  dead  comrades  in  the  peril.  Thou- 
sands wished  themselves  back  in  the  fields  where  the  conflict  had 
raged  in  the  past  with  chances  of  success. 


248 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


“It  is  time  for  us  to  know  whether  these  people  are  for  or  against 
us,”  echoed  over  the  land.  A cold  blooded  sentiment  expressed  by 
a man  at  the  head  of  a government  who  looked  Southward  with  the 
belief  that  four  million  negro  slaves  Would  rise  up  and  with  the  maul 
and  the  axe  and  the  dagger  butcher  four  million  helpless,  defenseless 
white  women  and  children  of  his  own  race,  behind  the  Confederate 
armies,  which  would  make  his  victory  complete! 

The  answer  was  now  given:  “It  is  time  for  us  to  know,  and  we 
will  see  if  these  people  are  to  rule  over  us  and  destroy  our  civiliza- 
tion.” 

A message  came  and  gave  to  them  a gleam  of  hope  and  with  it 
came  the  mystic  letters  K.  K.  K. 

It  was  an  order  of  mysteries;  one  that  carried  determination  and 
skillful  planning  by  men  who  knew  no  fear  in  the  face  of  despotic 
power.  The  issue  Was  sprung.  The  fiat  of  self-preservation  or 
death  to  the  hilt  or  muzzle  of  the  revolver.  It  Was  an  order  of  mas- 
terful command,  of  obedience  and  discipline.  It  was  the  ego  of  duty. 

It  had  for  its  object  the  salvation  of  the  Caucasian  race  in  the 
South,  threatened  with  destruction,  and  the  protection  of  its  help- 
less Women  and  children,  the  widows  and  orphans  of  Confederate 
soldiers. 

Upon  the  threshold  of  a great  calamity  this  organization  arose, 
out  of  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  as  it  were,  and  formed  into  a solid 
phalanx  of  oath-bound  determined  men. 

Who  Were  they?  Whence  came  they?  The  shades  of  the  dead 
who  have  passed  the  Styx  of  Dante’s  infernal  regions,  where  they 
were  sent  for  their  inhuman  crimes  could  not  tell,  nor  the  ghosts  of 
the  villains  who  Wronged  our  helpless  and  defenseless  Women.  It 
rose,  it  flourished,  it  performed  its  mission  and  disappeared  as  mys- 
teriously as  it  came;  this  wonderful  organization,  The  Ku  Ivlux 
Klan . 

The  Writer  hopes  that  the  readers  of  this  volume  will  not  consider 
him  boastful  nor  egotistical  when  he  tells  them  he  was  eminently 
familiar  with  the  Workings  of  the  Ku  Klux  Klan.  He  does  not 
have  to  draw  on  the  imagination  nor  search  the  musty  records  of 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


249 


the  past,  nor  cull  from  others  what  has  been  said  of  it.  There  lived 
a principle  that  swelled  within  the  bosoms  of  every  man  who  clung 
to  and  which  was  the  motive  power  of  this  great  order.  It  was  the 
trying  ordeals  of  the  period  which  animated  them  to  the  verge  of 
desperation.  Around  their  homes  and  firesides  there  were  those 
they  loved,  and  the  hand  of  barbarism,  upheld  by  the  conquering 
power  of  the  United  States  Government,  was  raised  to  destroy  the 
hopes  of  their  country’s  future. 

When  the  reader  turns  to  the  history  of  the  South  wdiich  glows 
with  daring  deeds,  his  soul  will  rise  above  the  dastards  who  wrung 
freedom  from  its  grasp.  No  people  on  earth  who  carry  the  prin- 
ciples of  self-preservation  within  their  bosoms  will  ever  turn  a deaf 
ear  to  a recital  of  the  wrongs  forced  upon  our  beautiful  South. 

The  organization  of  the  Ku  Klux  Klan  was  so  thoroughly  sys- 
tematized that  all  its  movements  were  in  harmony.  Its  secrets 
were  so  well  guarded  that  its  leaders  and  members  were  unknown 
outside  of  the  organization.  Its  objects  were  summarized  as  fol- 
lows: 

“To  the  lovers  of  law  and  order,  peace  and  justice,  and  to  the  shades  of  the 
venerated  dead,  Greeting: 

“This  is  an  Institution  of  Chivalry,  Humanity,  Mercy  and  Patriotism, 
embodying  in  its  genius  and  principles  all  that  is  chivalric  in  conduct,  noble  in 
sentiment,  generous  in  manhood,  and  patriotic  in  purpose;  its  peculiar  object 
being,  First,  To  protect  the  weak,  the  innocent,  and  the  defenseless  from  the 
indignities,  wrongs  and  outrages  of  the  lawless,  the  violent,  and  the  brutal; 
to  relieve  the  injured  and  the  oppressed;  to  succor  the  suffering  and  unfortunate, 
and  especially  the  widows  and  orphans  of  Confederate  soldiers. 

“Second,  To  protect  and  defend  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  all  the  laws  passed  in  conformity  thereto,  and  to  protect  the  States  and  the 
people  thereof  from  all  invasion  from  any  source  whatever. 

“Third,  To  aid  and  assist  in  the  execution  of  all  constitutional  laws  of  the 
land.’’ 

Their  places  of  meeting  were  called  “Dens  of  the  Klan,”  and  pre- 
sided over  by  the  Grand  Cyclops,  who  was  the  presiding  officer  of 
the  township  or  precinct. 

The  uniform  or  disguise  for  man  and  horse  was  made  of  a cheap 
domestic,  weighing  three  or  four  pounds. 


250 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  white  robes  for  the  men  were  made  in  the  form  of  long,  loose 
gowns  or  ulsters,  with  capes,  the  skirts  reaching  to  the  ground  and 
hanging  below  the  stirrups  when  mounted.  The  men  Wore  red  belts 
which  supported  two  revolvers.  On  each  man’s  breast  there  Was  a 
scarlet  circle  within  which  was  a white  cross.  The  same  appeared 
on  the  horse’s  breast  and  on  his  robe  at  the  flanks,  the  mystic  letters 
K.  K.  K. 

Each  man  Wore  a white  cap,  from  the  edges  of  which  floated  a 
piece  of  cloth  extending  to  the  shoulders.  Over  the  face  was  a white 
covering  with  eye  holes  and  an  opening  for  the  mouth.  On  the  front 
of  the  caps  of  the  Hawks  appeared  the  red  wings  of  a hawk  as  an  en- 
sign of  rank.  From  the  top  of  each  cap  was  a spire  or  spike  18  or 
20  inches  high,  covered  with  the  same  white  material  and  supported 
by  wire.  These  uniforms  were  easily  folded  and  concealed  within 
a blanket  and  kept  under  the  saddles  without  discovery.  It  Was 
only  a question  of  two  or  three  minutes  to  dismount,  unsaddle,  doff 
the  uniform  and  be  on  the  move  as  if  suddenly  coming  out  of  the 
bowels  of  the  earth.  The  men  were  provided  with  various  devices 
to  create  consternation  among  the  superstitious.  Their  eyes  looked 
like  balls  of  fire  at  times,  and  sulphurous  fumes  emitted  from  their 
ranks.  Several  buckets  of  water  was  a commom  draught  for  a man 
who  suffered  the  intense  thirst  incident  to  the  regions  of  heat  below, 
where  it  was  thought  he  made  his  abiding  place.  In  companies  of 
one  and  two  hundred  men,  thus  disguised  at  night,  the  spectacle 
was  terrorizing,  but  the  organization  was  composed  of  level  headed 
men,  trained  Confederates  who  knew  no  fear. 

The  operations  of  the  Ku  Klux  Klan  were  not  confined  to  their 
own  precincts  altogether,  as  the  United  States  soldiers  were  on  the 
alert.  They  were  ever  watchful  and  any  Work  to  be  done  at  home 
was  often  performed  by  those  living  many  miles  away,  strangers  to 
the  community,  who  were  notified  by  a relay  system  of  couriers 
when  messages  could  be  sent  long  distances  without  any  one 
being  missed,  except  for  a few  hours,  from  the  neighborhood.  Lou- 
isianians worked  in  Mississippi,  and  vice  versa,  and  so  with  counties 
and  districts.  If  any  serious  work  was  to  be  performed  it  was  some- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


251 


times  prefaced  by  some  public  demonstration  or  amusement,  when 
the  home  Klan  had  everything  fixed,  the  criminal  located  and  watched. 
The  distant  Klansmen  appeared  and  mingled  with  the  people,  com- 
ing in  from  different  quarters  as  others  without  a suspicion  of  their 
mission.  Their  mystic  signs  enabled  them  to  recognize  each  other 
and  to  arrange  the  details  of  their  operations.  When  night  came 
they  assembled  in  the  vicinity  and  donned  their  disguises  for  them- 
selves and  horses,  which  were  folded  in  their  blankets,  and  a great 
apparition  seemed  to  rise  from  the  earth,  and  before  the  criminal 
suspected  that  danger  lurked  near  him  he  was  in  their  clutches. 
He  was  then  taken  to  a place  presided  over  by  the  Grand  Cyclops, 
where  witnesses  were  presented  and  a thorough  investigation  had. 
If  adjudged  guilty,  when  day  dawned  the  culprit  would  be  missing 
and  sometimes  found  in  his  neighbor’s  yard,  a dead  proposition,  or 
found  dangling  from  the  limb  of  a tree,  and  sometimes  officials  who 
were  obnoxious  and  oppressive  in  their  acts  or  exhibited  a disposition 
to  overawe  the  white  people,  were  given  the  opportunity  to  break- 
fast on  the  carcasses  of  their  unscrupulous  henchmen  and  pets. 

The  thief  and  rapist,  the  murderer  and  the  instigators  of  negro 
supremacy  and  self-importance  had  a poor  show  in  the  days  of 
Ku  Kluxism.  Those  who  were  under  the  ban  of  suspicion  in  minor 
cases  were  often  warned  by  the  mystic  letters  K.  K.  K.  posted  where 
they  were  sure  to  see  them.  They  observed  the  laws  which  governed 
the  different  degrees  of  crime,  but  they  executed  those  laws  in  their 
own  way  in  proportion  to  the  nature  of  the  crime. 

In  May,  1865,  Governor  Charles  Clarke  called  an  extraordinary  ses- 
sion of  the  Legislature  to  meet  in  Jackson,  and  the  same  month  was 
arrested  by  General  Osband,  of  the  United  States  Army,  and  was 
sent  to  Fort  Pulaski  and  there  imprisoned,  for  the  reason  only  that 
he  had  served  the  Confederacy  and  happened  to  be  Governor  at  the 
close  of  the  war  of  a State  whose  interests  had  been  identified  with 
that  government.  Judge  Wharton,  in  describing  his  arrest,  says: 

"The  old  soldier,  when  informed  of  the  purpose  of  the  officer, 
straightened  his  mangled  limbs  as  best  he  could  and  with  great  diffi- 
culty mounted  his  crutches,  and  with  a look  of  defiance  said:  ‘General 


252 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Osband,  I denounce  before  high  heaven  and  the  civilized  world  this 
unparalleled  act  of  tyranny  and  usurpation.  I am  the  duly  and 
constitutionally  elected  Governor  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  and 
would  resist,  if  in  my  power,  to  the  last  extremity  the  enforcement 
of  your  orders.  I only  yield  obedience,  as  I have  no  power  to  resist.’  ” 
A more  glaring  piece  of  tyranny  and  deviltry  could  not  be  thought 
of  at  this  time  than  the  infamous  act  of  the  officer  who  thus  assailed 
a shattered  veteran  and  legally  elected  Governor  of  a State,  whose 
life  was  so  nearly  spent  and  whose  beautiful  character  was  con- 
spicuous in  the  history  of  his  country.  A man  Worn  With  age  and 
mangled  beyond  ability  to  walk  without  crutches,  thus  forced  from 
his  high  position  and  carried  under  a military  guard  and  impris- 
oned in  a felon’s  cell  at  Fort  Pulaski,  beyond  the  borders  of  his  own 
State.  After  the  ejection  of  Governor  Clarke  the  executive  office 
was  for  the  time  being  occupied  by  General  Osterhaus. 

Subsequent  to  the  preformance  of  this  disgraceful  act  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Uuited  States,  Andrew  Johnson,  who  had  been  inaugu- 
rated after  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  appointed  William 
L.  Sharkey  Provisional  Governor.  When  he  thus  became  the  head 
of  the  executive  department  he  called  what  has  been  termed  “the 
Abortive  Reconstruction  Convention,”  August  14,  1865,  which  de- 
clared the  ordinance  of  secession  “null  and  void,”  and  recognized 
the  abolition  of  slavery  in  Mississippi.  It  also  called  a State  elec- 
tion at  which  General  Humphreys  was  chosen.  But  the  military 
assumed  the  role  of  superior  authority,  and  under  it  all  persons  were 
required  to  appear  at  the  courthouse  and  record  their  oath  of  alle- 
giance before  they  were  allowed  to  pursue  their  regular  avocations 
or  transact  any  legal  business.  State  sovereignty  and  individual 
liberty  were  wiped  out.  In  Pike  County  Robert  H.  Felder  had  suc- 
ceeded Louis  C.  Bickham  as  sheriff  under  Governor  Clarke’s  admin- 
istration. He  held  over  until  after  the  appointment  of  Governor 
Sharkey,  when  he  was  deposed  by  order  of  the  military  because  he 
could  not  take  the  iron-clad  oath.  His  brother,  Levi  D.  Felder, 
was  appointed  and  Robert  filled  out  the  term  as  his  deputy. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


253 


Hon.  Dunbar  Rowland,  in  the  Mississipi  Official  and  Statistical 
Register  of  1904,  page  589,  has  the  following  to  say  of  the  Black 
and  Tan  convention  in  1868,  called  during  General  Humphrey’s 
administration  in  pursuance  of  the  Congressional  plan  of  recon- 
struction, which  had  been  adopted  when  "General  Ord,  who  had  just 
completed  revising  the  electorate  of  the  State,”  called  an  election 
to  determine  whether  there  should  be  a Constitutional  Convention. 
Of  course  the  proposal  was  carried: 

“Both  the  tragic  and  comic  masks  are  needed  to  do  justice  to  that 
notorious  convention.  It  was  a motley  group,  with  a slender  conservative 
membership,  but  composed  chiefly  of  negroes  and  “carpet-baggers,”  both 
equally  ripe  for  plunder.  Ignorance  and  corruption  combined,  and  there 
was  such  another  revel  as  the  “ Broecken  ” could  never  match,  This  august 
body  met  in  the  Hall  of  Representatives  on  January  7,  1868.  “Buzzard” 
Eggleston  of  Lowndes  County,  whose  name  bears  witness  to  a certain  unclean 
rapacity,  was  elected  President.  The  compensation  of  members  was  the 
first  question  raised.  A committee  was  appointed  to  report  a schedule  dis- 
posing of  that  important  matter.  Its  report  was  most  liberal  in  tone.  Long 
and  interesting  were  the  debates,  but  it  was  finally  decided  that  the  president 
should  receive  $20  per  diem  and  the  members  $10,  exclusive  of  mileage.  The 
official  reporter  and  secretary  were  given  $15  per  day  each,  and  a number  of 
other  superfluous  officers  were  provided  for  at  the  rate  of  $10  per  day.  The 
hour  had  come  and  the  harvest  was  ripe  for  the  loyal  Republican  contingent. 
Protest  against  extravagance  on  the  part  of  the  few  Democratic  members 
was  fruitless.  One  offered  a resolution  declaring  the  convention  illegal,  and 
the  members  not  entitled  to  compensation.  There  was  a long  uproar  and 
loud  cries  for  his  expulsion.  Another  suggested  that  after  the  expiration  of 
twenty  days  each  member  should  pay  his  own  expenses.  His  language  was 
denounced  as  “insulting”  and  he  was  requested  to  withdraw.-  A new  spasm 
of  indignation  came  when  the  superintendent  of  the  city  gas  works  sent  the 
convention  word  that  he  would  have  to  be  paid  in  advance  for  all  the  gas 
used,  as  he  doubted  the  solvency  of  the  State  and  the  convention.  A reso- 
lution was  passed  declaring  that  no  night  sessions  would  be  held.  The  con- 
vention triumphed  only  to  be  met  by  a new  annoyance.  It  was  observed 
that  the  newspaper  reporters  did  not  prefix  “Mr.”  to  the  names  of  the  negro 
delegates.  The  reporters  were  promptly  excluded  from  the  sessions  after 
that.” 

“The  important  offices  of  the  State  were  held  by  white  Democrats.  This 
called  for  reform.  A resolution  was  offered  appointing  a committee  of  seven 
to  memorialize  Congress  to  declare  all  civil  offices  vacant  and  to  vest  the 
appointment  in  the  convention,  Heroic  efforts  were  made  to  exploit  the 
treasury  under  the  guise  of  appropriations  for  the  relief  of  indigent  and  suf- 


254 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


fering  freedmen.  The  scheme  failed  because  General  Gillem,  Military  Com- 
mander, refused  to  sanction  the  appropriation.” 

‘‘After  a session  of  a month  it  occurred  to  several  members  that  they  were 
sitting  for  the  purpose  of  framing  a Constitution.  They  hastened  to  repair 
the  oversight.  A committee  was  appointed  to  prepare  a draft  and  report  in 
three  days.  Prompt  at  the  time  the  report  was  made  the  franchise  pro- 
visions, depriving  a large  section  of  the  intelligence  of  the  State  of  the  right 
to  vote,  attracted  main  attention.  They  were  debated  [long  and  bitterly,  the 
few  conservative  members  making  a last  vain  stand . Fights  were  of  frequent 
occurrence  and  feeling  ran  high.  Finally  the  obnoxious  provisions  were 
adopted.  The  democratic  members  indignantly  resigned  and  went  home. 
Provisions  were  made  for  submitting  the  Constitution  for  ratification,  and  the 
convention  adjourned  on  May  18th.  It  is  a matter  of  history  how  it  was 
rejected  and  adopted  in  1869  without  the  franchise  qualification.  The  con- 
vention had  cost  the  impoverished  State  about  a quarter  of  a million  of 
dollars.” 

In  June,  1868,  General  Adelbert  Ames  was  appointed  military 
Governor,  who  sent  a body  of  soldiers  under  Colonel  Biddle  and  ejected 
Governor  Humphreys,  taking  military  possession  of  the  executive 
department  himself,  under  instructions  from  General  McDowell, 
military  commander  of  the  district. 

The  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  why  this  was  done  when  the 
State  had  been  moving  along  smoothly  for  some  time  under  Governor 
Humphreys.  The  Constitution  adopted  by  the  Black  and  Tan  con- 
vention was  rejected  in  June  following  its  adjournment.  This  was 
followed  by  the  immediate  appointment  of  a set  of  interlopers,  more 
commonly  known  as  “carpetbaggers,”  from  Northern  States,  as 
officers  to  fatten  on  the  spoils  of  war. 

After  Ames  took  forcible  possession  of  the  executive  office  he  ap- 
pointed Peres  Bonney,  an  old  citizen  of  Pike,  Clerk  of  the  Probate 
Court,  ousting  William  M.  Conerly,  who  had  been  legally  elected. 
Bonney  was  a Republican  and  had  been  a member  of  the  Black  and 
Tan  convention. 

Levi  D.  Felder  was  ejected  and  superseded  by  the  appointment 
of  Charles  B.  Young  as  sheriff,  a stranger  to  the  people  and  an  ex- 
Union  officer,  who,  it  was  said,  had  commanded  a negro  regiment  in 
the  war  against  the  South.  Young  was  a Canadian  Irishman,  and 
Was  sent  to  Pike  County  by  Ames  to  act  as  sheriff  without  bond. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


255 


His  coming,  under  the  circumstances,  revived  and  stirred  up  the  ani- 
mosities of  the  people.  His  course  in  office,  favoring  negroes  over 
whites  and  using  them  in  the  arrest  of  white  people,  intensified  their 
animosity  to  a high  degree.  To  be  placed  under  the  domination  of 
negroes  and  held  there  by  the  powerful  hand  of  the  military  was 
revolting,  to  say  the  least  of  it. 

A man  named  Joseph  W.  Head,  charged  with  the  killing  of  Abra- 
ham Hiller,  of  Magnolia,  was  arrested  by  Young,  assisted  by  negroes. 
Head  was  handcuffed  by  them  and  taken  to  prison.  He  had  friends 
who  sought  revenge,  as  well  as  his  release.  After  this  Young  mys- 
teriously disappeared  and  was  never  seen  nor  heard  of  afterwards. 

Various  theories  have  been  offered  as  to  the  manner  of  his  taking 
off.  The  writer  has  traced  all  of  them.  The  body  of  Charles  B. 
Young  never  left  Pike  County.  He  was  overhauled  on  the  road 
leading  from  Holmesville  to  Magnolia  and  shot  to  death  by  men  in 
sympathy  with  Head  and  with  those  he  was  sent  to  Pike  County  to 
oppress,  and  his  body  buried  in  a hole  dug  for  that  purpose  in  the 
southwest  comer  of  Hardscrabble  plantation,  two  miles  south  of 
Holmesville,  and  his  grave  can  be  located  where  mentioned. 

It  was  discovered  by  the  Board  of  Supervisors  after  Young’s 
disappearance  that  he  was  defaulter  in  about  twelve  thousand  dol- 
lars in  warrants  and  money,  about  one  thousand  dollars  in  tax  money. 
This  was  substantiated  by  inquiries  being  made  by  parties  living  in  Can- 
ton, Miss.,  as  to  the  value  of  these  warrants  on  the  market.  Noth- 
ing was  ever  done  toward  their  collection  from  the  county,  as  the 
holders  were  advised  that  they  had  better  not  undertake  it. 

On  one  occasion,  while  making  a speech,  Governor  Ames  was 
asked  by  a man  in  the  audience  what  about  his  sheriff  Young  in 
Pike  County?  His  reply  was:  “I  have  information  that  the  bones 
of  Chas.  B.  Young  are  now  bleaching  in  the  Bogue  Chitto  Valley.” 
The  information  obtained  by  the  writer  leads  him  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  usurping  Governor  was  correct.  It  Was  a lesson  to  be  duly 
heeded  by  him,  as  well  as  his  successors.  He  saw  the  danger  which 
threatened  the  commonwealth  in  his  hands  if  he  attempted  to  repeat 
the  appointment  of  men  not  living  in  the  county  and  not  identified 


256 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


with  its  people,  and  it  Was  a proof  of  the  extremity  to  which  men 
were  driven  to  rid  themselves  of  their  oppressors  and  to  counteract 
the  desperate  measures  of  the  military  authorities  to  overturn  white 
supremacy  and  blot  out  Anglo-Saxon  blood  in  the  South. 

James  L.  Alcorn  being  inaugurated  Governor  March  io,  1870, 
he  reversed  the  policy  of  Ames.  Governor  Alcorn  knew  the  temper 
of  Mississippians,  and  his  plan  was  to  make  appointments  from  the 
best  who  could  meet  the  requirements  under  the  Reconstruction  Acts 
of  Congress.  He  appointed  Ansel  H.  Prewett,  of  Magnolia,  as 
Young’s  successor,  which  gave  general  satisfaction. 

This  good  man,  while  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties,  con- 
veying the  prisoner  Head  to  Vicksburg  for  safe  keeping,  until  his 
trial  could  be  had,  was  assassinated  on  the  cars  at  Bogue  Chitto 
Station,  and  his  son,  Elisha  Prewett,  and  his  deputy,  W.  L.  Coney, 
wounded  by  Head’s  friends  and  rescuers,  who  held  up  the  train  for 
that  purpose  and  all  made  their  escape.  It  was  said  that  they  were 
formerly  members  of  the  noted  Quantrell  partisan  rangers  that 
operated  in  Missouri  and  the  Trans-Mississippi. 

At  this  critical  period  there  was  a man  come  to  the  front  who 
exerted  himself  and  wielded  an  influence  to  save  Pike  County  from 
the  scenes  of  blood  that  threatened  it.  Wherever  Ames’  policy  was 
attempted  to  be  carried  out  these  chaotic  conditions  were  multiplied. 
Negroes  unaccustomed  to  being  petted  and  given  the  hand  of  fel- 
lowship in  equality  with  the  white  man,  as  they  now  were  by  the 
carpetbaggers  and  camp  followers  seeking  their  votes  and  their 
admiration,  were  growing  insolent  to  those  who  had  previously  been 
their  masters.  This  was  a fatal  step  made  by  the  powers  at  Wash- 
ington. Had  they  left  the  negroes  to  be  controlled  by  their  late 
masters  and  gradually  become  acquainted  with  their  new  conditions 
the  troubles  would  not  have  been  so  great.  The  efforts  of  their  lib- 
erators to  install  them  in  the  main  offices  of  the  government  and  to 
ecome  the  law  making  and  law  executing  power  Was  a thing  too 
preposterous  to  be  considered  by  the  intelligence  of  the  South.  It 
was  purely  a fool’s  errand  when  the  Government  of  the  United  States 
undertook  such  a task. 


Benjamin  Lampton 
Of  Tylertown 

Appointed  Sheriff  of  Pike  County  by  Governor  Alcorn 
to  succeed  Ansel  H.  Prewett 


258 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


W.  H.  Roane,  a Presbyterian  minister  Who  resided  in  Magnolia, 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1870,  while  Alcorn  Was  Governor, 
and  clung  to  the  policy  of  Alcorn  in  appointing  to  office  none  but 
native  or  adopted  white  citizens  whose  interests  were  identified  with 
the  people. 

With  this  policy  carried  out  there  would  be  less  danger  of  a con- 
flict between  the  races,  which  Was  daily  threatening  the  entire  com- 
monwealth. Roane  succeeded  in  having  Benjamin  Lampton  ap- 
pointed to  succeed  the  lamented  Prewett,  and  he  appointed  Peres 
Bonney  Probate  Clerk  and  Frederick  W.  Collins  Circuit  Clerk. 

In  1871  an  election  was  held.  Wm.  M.  Conerly,  Dem.,  was  elected 
Probate  Clerk  and  Fred.  W.  Collins,  Rep.,  was  elected  Circuit  Clerk, 
both  serving  until  the  fall  election  in  1875,  when  Conerly  succeeded 
himself  and  Collins  was  succeeded  by  the  election  of  Dr.  A.  P.  Spark- 
man, who  has  held  the  office  consecutively  ever  since. 

Benjamin  Lampton  was  succeeded  in  1871  by  the  election  of  John 
Q.  Travis,  Rep.,  beating  Robert  H.  Felder,  Dem. 

W.  M.  Conerly  held  the  office  of  Probate  Clerk  until  the  fall  elec- 
tion of  1879,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  election  of  W.  C.  Vaught. 

From  the  close  of  Ames’  military  administration,  March,  1870,  the 
expenditures  of  the  State  government  were  as  follows: 


In  1869,  white  rule 
In  1870,  negro  rule 
In  1871,  negro  rule 
In  1872,  negro  rule 
In  1873,  negro  rule 
In  1874,  negro  rule 
In  1875,  negro  rule 
In  1876,  white  rule 


$ 463, 219  71 

1, 061, 249  90 
1, 729, 046  34 
1, 596, 828  64 
1,  45°;  632  80 
x, 319, 281  60 
1, 430, 102  00 
591, 709  00 


Here  is  a proof  of  the  systematic  robberies  carried  on  by  the 
powers  of  darkness  and  light  mixed,  and  a proof  of  the  utter  inca- 
pacity of  those  forced  upon  the  people  to  govern  them,  and  the  white 
people,  not  the  negroes,  had  to  meet  these  heavy  expenditures. 

The  Reconstruction  Act  was  a measure  which  disclosed  all  the 
venom  that  could  be  incorporated  into  a law,  and  with  it  came  an  army 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


259 


of  adventurers  in  search  of  the  spoils  which  they  expected  to  obtain 
by  the  confiscation  of  property  and  by  ingratiating  themselves  in 
the  love  and  affections  of  the  nation’s  wards.  Adelbert  Ames  was 
the  man  to  do  their  bidding,  and  when  it  became  necessary  to  make 
appointments  he  favored  those  who  were  not  of  the  manor  bom  and 
gave  to  the  newly  enfranchised  negro  the  same  honors  bestowed  on 
the  white  carpetbaggers.  Troops  were  quartered  in  different  parts 
of  the  State  to  suit  the  necessities  of  the  case  upon  the  least  complaint 
made  by  those  in  authority.  A large  body  were  kept  at  the  State 
capital  as  a forcible  reminder,  and  it  was  sometimes  the  case  they 
were  sent  to  places  of  public  Worship  to  overawe  the  people  when 
ministers  were  dragged  from  the  pulpit  for  declining  to  offer  up 
prayers  for  the  rulers  and  daring  to  protest  against  the  wrongs  per- 
petrated on  the  people. 

As  an  illustration  of  the  character  of  stories  invented  by  the  carpet- 
baggers to  bring  troops  to  places  desired,  the  Writer  reproduces  an 
article  credited  to  the  Meridian  Gazette,  printed  in  the  Magnolia 
Herald: 

“TERRIBLE  VANDALISM  IN  JEFFERSON  AND  CLAIBORNE. 

ALCORN  UNIVERSITY  DESTROYED HORRIBLE  DESTRUCTION  OF  HU- 

MAN life!” 

“A  body  of  White  League  Ku  Klux  from  Louisiana,  five  hundred  strong, 
well  mounted  and  equipped  with  Winchester  rifles  and  navy  sixies,  crossed  the 
Mississippi  River  at  Rodney,  spreading  terror  and  dismay  to  the  peaceful 
inhabitants  of  that  village.  They  moved  upon  Alcorn  University,  arriving 
there  about  daylight,  where  they  are  now  bivouacked.  Here  have  been  enacted 
scenes  at  which  humanity  and  civilization  shudder. 

“We  are  carried  back  to  the  days  of  cannibalism.  This  body  of  lawless 
invaders  is  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Blood,  a notorious  desperado  who 
has  hitherto  operated  chiefly  in  Texas  and  Arkansas.  As  soon  as  they  had 
tethered  their  horses  and  spread  their  tents  in  the  beautiful  groves  of  Oakvale, 
a detail  of  thirty  men  were  sent  into  the  chapel  of  the  university,  where  all  the 
pupils  and  professors  were  at  prayers.  Without  a word  they  shot  down  the 
professors  and  pupils,  and  carried  the  little  fat  ones  screaming  to  the  camp. 
They  alleged,  amid  coarse  jokes  and  brutal  laughter,  that  the  old  bucks  were 
too  tough  for  broiling  purposes.  They  wanted  tender  steaks.  When  they 
reached  the  camp,  these  innocent  youths  were  slaughtered  and  cut  up  into 
steaks  and  roasts,  barbecued  and  eaten  by  the  vandal  host. 


260 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


“Alas,  that  I should  live  to  see  a State  in  the  American  union  relapse  into 
cannibalism!  I wish  I had  died  before  my  eyes  were  blistered  with  such  a 
sight,  my  ears  pierced  with  such  screams,  my  soul  sickened  with  such  horror! 
Alcorn  University  is  no  more!  It  has  been  eaten  up  by  white  cannibals. 

“Not  content  with  this  terrible  feast — this  orgy  of  the  demons — the  same 
band  are  now  scouring  Jefferson  and  Claiborne  Counties  with  blighting  effect. 
All  the  tender  little  negro  children  are  carried  to  the  pot.  They  live  only  on 
human  flesh  and  they  are  men  of  enormous  appetites.  An  infant  weighing 
twenty-five  pounds  will  furnish  food  for  one  day  for  only  four  of  these  terrible 
gormandizers,  and  they  all  fastidiously  refuse  to  eat  tough  meat.  They  shoot 
the  men  and  drive  the  women  in  droves  into  the  river,  where,  of  course  they  are 
drowned.  The  colored  population  in  this  fertile  but  fated  region  has  almost 
disappeared.  This  terrible  band  have  killed  six  thousand  men,  drowned  four 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty  women  and  eaten  one  thousand  six  hundred 
and  seventy-five  healthy  children  within  the  last  five  days. 

“It  is  believed  they  have  virtually  cleaned  out  the  illstarred  Counties  of 
Jefferson  and  Claiborne.  Where  they  will  now  go,  God  only  knows. 

“It  is  believed  in  Jackson,  in  official  circles,  that  the  whole  purpose  of  this 
Louisiana  invasion  was  to  intimidate  the  negro  by  a little  so-called  wholesome 
killing  and  eating  and  drowning,  in  order  to  enable  the  Democrats  to  carry  the 
election.  The  facts  have  been  presented  to  Governor  Ames,  and  I understand 
the  Governor  will  promptly  despatch  to  the  Attorney  General  of  the  United 
States  and  ask  for  troops.  It  is  to  be  hoped  he  will  succeed  in  getting  the  whole 
army  of  the  United  States  in  Mississippi,  for  all  good  citizens  must  deprecate 
such  lawless  and  inhuman  outrage  as  I have  described. 

“I  send  you  this  without  signing  my  name,  or  indicating  the  place  from  which 
I write.  Such  is  the  reign  of  terror  in  this  unfortunate  section  that  my  life 
would  not  be  worth  a button  if  it  was  known  that  I had  given  you  these  awful 
facts. 

“P.  S. — Since  writing  the  above,  I have  visited  the  Southern  portion  of  the 
State  and  find  the  same  affairs  existing  there.  In  Wilkinson,  Amite,  Pike  and 
Marion  it  seems  as  if  the  whole  Ku  Klux  population  of  Northeast  Louisiana, 
commonly  known  as  the  Florida  parishes,  had  concentrated  in  these  counties 
and  are  holding  one  grand  barbecue  of  negroes.  Such  fearful  and  barbarous 
destruction  of  human  life  practiced  there — it  would  seem  past  mortal  descrip- 
tion. At  Rose  Hill,  in  Amite  County,  they  roasted  seventy-five  at  one  time 
and  about  two  hundred  of  those  Louisiana  cannibals  feasted  on  them;  and  out 
at  a little  place  called  Tylertown,  in  Pike  County,  where  there  are  two  water- 
mills, I am  told  they  have  been  keeping  about  three  hundred  large  sugar  kettles 
stewing  with  negro  hash,  and  then  can  scarcely  supply  the  demand;  and  they 
tell  me  that  the  citizens  in  these  localities  have  been  thinking,  for  some  time, 
of  making  application  for  troops.  The  fact  is  there  is  not  a negro  or  white 
radical  in  this  whole  section  of  country  that  will  dare  to  go  to  the  polls  unless 
the  troops  come,  for  Tylertown  has  always  been  noted  for  such  remarkable 
events!” 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


261 


The  reader  will  understand  that  the  above  is  a burlesque,  but 
it  is  a fair  sample  of  the  reports  circulated  and  presented  to  the  au- 
thorities in  order  to  induce  the  dispatch  of  troops  to  desirable  points 
where  there  was  any  chance  for  the  Democrats  to  carry  the  election, 
and  there  were  thouasnds  of  people  who  actually  believed  the  cir- 
cumstances set  forth  in  the  above  letter  to  be  true,  and  it  was  a most 
excellent  incentive  to  the  military  authorities  to  comply  with  the 
request.  It  may  be  safely  said  that  truth  is  turned  into  burlesque 
by  the  ingenious  framing  of  the  Gazette  article. 

There  was  no  fiction  about  the  organization  of  the  Ku  Klux  Klan, 
and  the  White  League,  nor  in  the  determination  of  the  white  people 
of  Mississippi  and  Louisiana  to  overthrow  the  regime  of  scandal  that 
was  besmirching  the  names  of  these  great  States.  Side  by  side  as 
sisters  they  had  risen  to  a high  fame  and  the  destiny  which  awaited 
one  must  fall  to  the  other.  Their  people  were  united  by  all  the  ties 
that  could  bind  them  to  each  other.  It  was  a law  of  self-preserva- 
tion that  prompted  them  to  act  in  harmony. 

If  the  reader  could  see  the  inner  chambers  of  the  demon-like  con- 
claves that  secretly  met  in  the  night  times  everywhere  When  it  was 
supposed  all  white  people  Were  asleep,  they  would  be  astounded. 
And  with  each  of  these  secret  negro  carpetbag  meetings  held  in  some 
out  of  the  way  house,  if  you  could  look  under  you  would  see  the 
figure  of  the  Night  Hawk  of  the  Ku  Klux  Klan  on  duty,  with  his 
revolver  in  his  hand,  listening  to  the  schemes  concocted  within. 
Nine  out  of  ten  of  all  the  troubles  that  sprung  up  between  the  whites 
and  the  negroes  were  instigated  at  some  of  these  secret  meetings  by 
the  carpetbag  politicians,  inciting  the  negroes  to  acts  that  would 
bring  trouble  with  the  whites  in  order  to  have  an  excuse  to  apply 
for  and  bring  troops  into  the  county  or  precincts  where  elections 
were  to  be  held. 

The  negroes  were  in  a state  of  transition.  When  it  was  seen  that 
they  could  be  made  to  answer,  as  instruments  to  carry  out  the  pur- 
poses of  carpetbag  freebooters,  the  plan  was  concocted  and  the  negroes 
were  made  to  bear  the  consequences  to  follow.  The  negroes  were 


262 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


not  to  blame  for  these  things,  because  they  Were  led  and  controlled 
by  white  men  who  cared  nothing  for  their  Welfare. 

In  Pike  County  the  conditions  were  greatly  ameliorated  by  the 
strong  influence  wielded  over  them  by  one  man.  Without  this  man 
there  is  no  telling  what  may  have  been  the  fate  of  the  negro  in  the 
county.  His  own  people  were  as  much  concerned  as  the  mass  of 
citizens  in  the  county  in  the  careful  control  of  the  negro  population 
under  the  new  conditions.  Many  of  his  connections  had  been  slave 
owners,  and  he  belonged  to  a class  of  high  respectability.  He  was 
too  young  to  become  a soldier  in  the  war,  but  in  his  boyhood  and 
young  manhood  he  learned  the  lessons  which  should  guide  him  for 
the  right  and  he  stood  high  in  the  estimation  and  friendship  of  Con- 
federate soldiers  who  had  safely  passed  through  the  war,  as  well  as 
with  all  others  who  knew  him. 

On  a little  stream  in  the  southeast  portion  of  the  county,  where 
nature  has  given  the  sweetest  hopes  and  the  greatest  joys  to  those 
who  were  ushered  into  life,  a child  was  bom  whose  ancestry  Was  of 
a high  class  of  Scotch  people.  In  the  morning  of  his  life  he  imbibed 
from  a Christian  mother  all  the  attributes  of  a pure  and  upright 
character.  When  the  war  closed  he  had  not  entered  his  majority, 
and  when  it  became  necessary  to  fit  himself  for  higher  duties  he  had 
to  do  so  by  his  own  exertions,  as  his  father  was  unable  to  help  him. 

The  name  of  Frederick  W.  Collins  will  go  down  to  posterity  as 
the  one  who  saved  his  native  county  from  the  terrors  of  a race  war. 
He  had  more  influence  over  them  than  all  the  other  Republicans  in 
the  county  combined,  and  if  he  had  not  been  firm  with  them  and 
held  them  within  his  own  grasp  the  doom  of  the  negroes,  wrought 
up  by  the  influences  of  others,  would  have  been  sealed  for  the  time 
in  Pike  County,  and  the  day  that  W.  H.  Roane  had  him  appointed 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  that  day  marked  the  salvation  of  the 
negroes  in  the  county.  If  he  had  not  thus  been  put  forward  it  is 
likely  no  one  else  would  have  come  to  supply  his  place  in  the  ranks 
of  the  Republican  party,  the  bulk  of  which  had  no  other  influence 
over  the  negro  than  to  incite  him  to  wrong  and  to  further  their  polit- 
ical schemes. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


263 


Fred  Collins  told  them  in  their  conventions  that  they  knew  not 
what  they  did,  that  they  Were  “treading  on  coals  of  fire,  Which,  if 
kindled  to  a blaze,  would  be  the  death  knell  of  themselves  and  Would 
sweep  the  negroes  of  Pike  County  from  the  face  of  the  earth.”  He 
knew  the  temper  of  his  Confederate  soldier  friends. 

On  one  occasion  when  the  feelings  of  the  people  were  wrought  up 
to  an  explosive  point,  one  of  the  most  dangerous  and  determined 
negroes  was  burning  to  begin  a race  war  and  was  Working  his  plans 
for  that  purpose,  instigated  by  designing  members  of  the  radical 
party.  Collins,  being  informed  of  it,  immediately  put  a stop  to  it 
and  informed  his  associates  that  such  a thing  should  not  be  permitted 
to  have  encouragement.  Another  effort  was  made  when  the  negroes 
attempted  to  dispossess  the  whites  of  their  lands  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  a set  of  scoundrels  who  came  into  the  county  under  the 
pretense  of  locating  the  forty  acres  each  of  them  was  promised  by 
the  leaders  of  the  Black  and  Tan  government.  This  was  an  aggrava- 
ting measure  to  stir  up  strife  in  order  to  compromise  the  white  people 
and  drive  them  to  acts  of  desperation. 

In  this  instance,  as  in  others,  the  advice  of  Mr.  Collins  prevailed 
and  trouble  was  happily  averted. 

Collins  was  a consistent  conservative  Republican,  having  at  heart 
the  best  interests  of  the  commonwealth,  and  as  such  he  was  in  touch 
with  the  best  people  of  the  county;  at  the  same  time,  by  the  force  of 
his  logic  and  influence,  the  negroes  recognized  him  as  their  best  friend 
and  safest  advisor,  and  he  thus  stood  as  a breakwater  against  race 
conflicts.  The  fact  should  also  be  recorded  that  no  love  existed  be- 
tween Fred  Collins  and  the  carpetbaggers. 

FRED  W.  COLLINS. 

Fred  Collins  was  bom  on  Magees  Creek,  or  rather  on  Collins  Creek,  near  its 
junction  with  the  former  stream  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  Pike  County, 
on  the  14th  of  September,  1846.  His  father  was  Chauncey  Collins,  of  Scotch 
ancestry,  a native  of  Salisbury,  Connecticut,  and  came  to  Mississippi  in  1842. 
His  mother  was  Amelia  Woodruff,  who  was  a daughter  of  Elias  Woodruff,  a 
native  of  New  Jersey,  and  Ailsey  Collins,  of  Columbia,  Marion  County,  Miss. 

Fred  W.  Collins  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Tylertown.  He  grew  up  with  the  boys  of  his  generation  on  Magees 


264 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Creek,  a section  of  Pike  County  which  has  sent  out  into  the  world  some  bril- 
liant self-made  men.  He  was  too  young  to  enter  into  the  Civil  War. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  on  the  12th  of  January,  1870,  he  was  married 
to  Mary  Elizabeth  Smith,  then  eighteen  years  of  age,  a daughter  of  William 
Smith  and  Angeline  Magee.  William  Smith  was  of  German  descent  and  a son 


Hon.  Frederick  W.  Collins 
Summit,  Miss. 

Collector  of  Port,  Gulfport,  Miss.  From  a late  photograph. 


of  one  of  Pike  County’s  original  pioneers.  Angeline  Magee  was  a daughter  of 
Sier  Magee,  who  settled  on  Magees  Creek,  above  the  junction  of  Dry  Creek  with 
that  stream,  in  1811.  It  was  from  Sier  and  his  brother  Jeremiah  that  Magees 
Creek  took  its  name.  The  Magees  came  from  South  Carolina;  the  Smiths  came 
from  Germany;  the  Collins  and  Woodruffs  came  from  New  England. 

It  was  a very  important  epoch  in  the  history  of  Pike  County  that  brought 
Fred  Collins  to  the  front  as  a public  man.  It  was  the  fiat  of  a necessity,  and  it 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


265 


was  to  save  Pike  County  from  carpetbagism.  The  Confederate  soldiers  were 
his  warm  personal  friends.  Governor  Ames  tried  the  experiment  of  appointing 
an  alien  Sheriff,  who  mysteriously  disappeared.  W.  H.  Roune,  of  Magnolia, 
member  of  the  State  Legislature,  in  support  of  Alcorn’s  policy  of  appointing 
native  citizens  (under  the  reconstruction  acts)  to  office,  had  him  appointed 
Circuit  Clerk,  to  which  position  he  was  twice  elected,  while  nearly  all  the  other 
offices  were  filled  by  the  election  of  Democrats.  In  1870  he  was  elected  Mayor 
of  Magnolia  and  served  as  Deputy  Sheriff  under  J.  Q.  Travis.  He  changed 
his  residence  to  Summit  and  was  elected  by  the  Democrats  of  that  town  as  its 


View  on  F.  W.  Collins’  Farm,  looking  toward  the  Judge  Hoover  Place, 
on  Bogue  Chitto  River  near  Summit 

Mayor.  He  held  the  office  of  postmaster  of  Summit  for  several  years  under 
appointment  of  President  Hayes.  In  1890  President  Harrison  appointed  him 
United  States  Marshal  for  the  Southern  District.  In  1892  he  was  a delegate  to 
the  Republican  National  Convention  at  Minneapolis,  and  a delegate  at  large 
to  the  St.  Louis  Convention.  He  was  appointed  MarshaLby  President  McKinley 
in  1897.  The  Governor  of  Mississippi  appointed  him  alternate  commissioner 
to  the  World’s  Fair  at  Chicago. 

Fred  Collins  was  a Republican  of  wise  and  tactful  conservatism,  and  an 
essential  factor  as  such  in  Pike  County,  and  occupies  a conspicuous  place  in 
its  history.  There  are  few,  if  any,  Republicans  in  the  South  who  have  been  so 
warmly  supported  by  Democrats  and  held  office  as  long  as  he  through  their 
support.  He  knew  how  to  be  a Republican  and  at  the  same  time  merit  the 
support  of  Democrats.  Few  men  have  such  a record. 


266 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


In  June,  1900,  he  was  sent  as  a delegate  at  large  to  the  Republican  National 
Convention  at  Philadelphia,  that  nominated  McKinley  and  Roosevelt  for  Pres- 
ident and  Vice-President. 

In  1904  he  again  served  as  a delegate  from  Mississippi  at  large  in  the  Repub- 
lican National  Convention  at  Chicago,  and  supported  Roosevelt  and  Fairbanks 
for  President  and  Vice-President.  He  was  also  elected  Chairman  of  the  Repub- 
lican State  Committee,  and  assisted  in  managing  the  national  campaign. 

When  Mr.  Roosevelt  succeeded  to  the  presidency  upon  the  death  of  Presi- 
dent McKinley,  he  appointed  Mr.  Collins  Register  of  the  Land  Office  at  Jackson, 
Miss.  At  the  end  of  his  four  years’  term,  Mr.  Roosevelt  appointed  him  to  the 
office  of  Collector  of  Customs  for  the  District  of  Pearl  River,  in  Mississippi, 
with  headquarters  at  Gulfport. 

Some  of  Mr.  Collins’  strongest  political  opponents  have  been  his  truest  and 
sincerest  personal  friends.  He  has  risen  from  circumstances  in  his  career  that 
called  for  peculiar  merit  and  good  ability. 

The  Clinton  and  Woodville  riots,  and  the  flame  that  burst  out  in 
Louisiana  at  Colfax,  Coushatta,  and  other  places  leaped  over  the 
borders.  The  White  League  Ku  Klux,  as  they  Were  then  termed, 
of  Louisiana  and  Mississippi,  were  aglow  with  warmth  and  burning 
for  action,  and  when  it  Was  seen  that  they  Would  not  submit  to  the 
efforts  being  made  to  Africanize  their  country,  troops  Were  stationed 
in  every  available  locality  to  overawe  them.  In  the  county  of  Amite 
a deputy  United  States  Revenue  Collector  had  his  headquarters 
and  made  it  a special  part  of  his  duties  to  dodge  about  from  place  to 
place  in  order  to  create  the  impression  that  his  life  was  in  peril.  He 
succeeded  in  having  a detachment  of  cavalry  sent  to  McComb  City 
for  the  purpose  of  using  them  to  intimidate  the  White  Leaguers. 
These  soldiers  scoured  the  county  for  the  purpose  of  arresting  men 
who  were  under  the  ban  of  Ku  Klux  suspicion  in  forming  associa- 
toins  to  resist  the  government’s  policy. 

A negro  who  had  been  a slave  of  the  Sartin  neighborhood,  in  the 
eastern  portion  of  the  county,  assaulted  his  former  master’s  young 
daughter  while  on  her  way  to  school  and  then  cut  her  throat  and 
left  her  for  dead. 

This  brutal  assault  on  an  innocent  and  helpless  child  he  had  known 
from  infancy,  belonging  to  one  of  the  first  families  of  Pike  County 
and  descending  from  one  of  the  first  pioneers  who  came  from  the  old 
historic  State  of  Georgia  and  settled  here,  was  an  outrage  which  even 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


267 


to  think  of  was  revolting,  much  less  the  actual  fact  of  the  crime. 
In  all  the  long  years  of  slavery  in  Pike  County  no  such  a crime  had 
been  committed  on  a white  girl  by  a negro,  and  when  the  news  spread 
over  the  county  among  the  people  a body  of  determined  men  were 
ready  to  begin  the  work  of  extermination.  It  was  a conclusion 
based  upon  this  fact  that  led  them  to  begin  at  once  to  rid  them- 
selves of  a curse  that  was  about  to  become  their  heritage.  Know- 
ing what  would  be  the  consequences  to  follow,  the  officers  of  the 
county  promptly  apprehended  the  negro  and  incarcerated  him  in 
a safe  place  until  his  trial  could  be  had,  which  resulted  in  a verdict 
of  assault  and  battery  with  intent  to  kill,  and  he  was  sentenced  to 
the  penitentiary  for  twenty  years.  The  unfortunate  girl  recovered, 
but  with  the  loss  of  speech  for  several  years.  From  the  very  begin- 
ning of  the  outrages  which  cursed  the  South  after  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War,  there  was  none  perhaps  which  failed  to  meet  its  reward, 
but  the  public  mind  in  Pike  County  has  never  been  free  from  the  stain 
it  felt  was  left  by  not  executing  this  negro  at  once. 

Here  the  Writer  desires  the  indulgence  of  the  reader  for  the  pur- 
pose of  referring  to  circumstances  occurring  in  the  sister  State  of 
Louisiana,  which  was  felt  by  the  people  of  Mississippi  as  concerning 
themselves. 

A negro  in  Union  Parish  of  that  State  was  burned  at  the  stake 
with  the  assistance  of  men  of  his  own  race,  for  a similar  crime.  He 
had  been  the  outrager  and  murderer  of  a most  estimable  white  lady 
and  was  caught,  and  after  proof  and  confesson  he  was  tied  to  a stake 
at  the  spot  of  his  crime  where  his  victim  was  found,  and  made  to 
suffer  death  by  cremation  in  the  presence  of  over  two  hundred  men. 
This  lady,  Mrs.  Kidd,  was  the  wife  of  one  of  the  best  young  men  in 
Union  Parish  and  the  mother  of  two  beautiful  children.  Dragged 
from  her  horse  while  on  the  road  to  visit  a sick  neighbor  in  the  after- 
noon, she  was  not  seen  again  until  found  several  days  later  chained 
to  a tree,  where  she  had  been  kept,  and  her  brains  knocked  out. 

There  was  another  which  occurred  about  the  same  time  and  which 
may  be  classed  as  the  crowning  of  all  outrages  yet  known  in  the  annals 
of  crime  in  this  country. 


268 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


In  the  Parish  of  Grant  there  lived  a most  estimable  widow  lady, 
Mrs.  Lecour,  who  was  the  mother  of  a beautiful  daughter  seventeen 
years  of  age.  They  were  relatives  of  one  of  the  foremost  families  in 
the  State  of  Louisiana  and  descendants  of  a high  class  of  early  Spanish 
and  French  settlers.  Here  in  the  midst  of  the  presence  of  a body  of 
United  States  troops  under  a Federal  officer  who  bore  the  name  of  Colo- 
nel Decline,  this  young  widow  lady,  with  her  daughter,  were  dragged 
from  their  home  in  the  dead  hour  of  night  by  nine  desperate  and  brutal 
negroes  and  carried  away  into  the  adjacent  swamp  and  there  made  to 
suffer  the  horrors  of  assault  the  whole  night  through,  from  which  both 
died  in  a short  while  after  being  found  by  their  friends. 

When  application  was  made  to  the  officer  in  command  of  the  troops 
at  Colfax  for  assistance  to  arrest  and  punish  the  perpetrators  of  this 
revolting  crime,  he  "declined,”  saying  that  he  had  come  there  for  a 
“higher  purpose.”  (?) 

What  action  does  the  mind  suggest  to  the  reader  when  such  out- 
rages, so  revolting  in  their  nature,  perpetrated  in  the  very  presence 
of  United  States  troops,  who  were  supposed  to  be  there  to  protect 
the  weak  and  defenseless  and  to  keep  the  peace  of  the  community? 

When  Colonel  Decline,  the  commanding  officer  of  these  troops 
stationed  at  Colfax,  refused  the  application  for  assistance  to  capture 
these  criminals  he  was  told  that  they  would  be  caught  and  executed 
under  his  nose,  if  the  State  of  Louisiana  had  to  rise  in  solid  mass  and 
drive  a devil  like  him  from  its  borders  to  accomplish  that  end. 

The  news  spread  throughout  the  adjacent  country  with  almost 
lightning  rapidity.  All  through  Rapids,  Grant,  Sabine  and  Natchi- 
toches the  news  passed  from  house  to  house. 

The  organization  that  had  been  ushered  into  being  and  brought 
with  it  the  flame  that  arose  among  the  Scottish  hills  in  the  past  came 
to  the  rescue  to  place  the  stamp  of  its  order.  Where  was  Decline’s 
power  then?  Ask  the  little  negro  mulattoes  rocked  in  the  cradles 
of  carpetbag  concubinage  in  Grant  Parish. 

In  the  face  of  him  and  his  troops  and  the  "higher  purpose”  of 
his  mission,  these  demons  of  his  household  were  captured  and  made 
to  suffer  the  penalty  of  their  crime  "under  his  nose.” 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


269 


And  while  these  terrible  crimes  were  being  perpetrated  on  our 
white  women  by  negroes  upheld  by  Yankee  troops,  all  the  sympathy 
of  Northern  radical  newspapers  was  given  to  the  negro  criminals 
and  our  white  people  assailed  as  barbarians  for  vindicating  the  Wrongs, 
and  the  merciless  power  of  the  military  invoked  to  punish  them. 
Columbus  Nash,  the  gallant  young  sheriff  of  Grant  Parish,  with  his 
heroic  posse  cometatis  of  young  men  of  Grant  and  Rapides,  was  hunted 
as  an  outlaw  for  trying  to  preserve  order  and  protect  the  helpless. 

When  we  go  over  the  past  and  reflect  We  may  wonder  that  there 
ever  lived  a people  on  earth  who  could  be  so  controlled  as  not  to  rush 
into  measures  which  might  result  into  a sweeping  destruction  by 
again  coming  in  conflict  with  the  United  States  forces.  This  was 
one  of  the  great  characteristics  of  the  Ku  Klux  Ivlan  that  stood  forth 
to  protect  the  weak  and  the  helpless  and  to  punish  crime. 

They  were  men  who  had  been  trained  in  war,  recruited  by  youths 
of  their  own  blood,  and  they  were  men  who  could  control  their  own 
acts  so  as  to  avoid  a conflict  with  the  United  States  forces,  yet  they 
feared  them  not. 

In  all  the  cases  where  the  negroes  were  concerned  in  these  crimes 
they  were  or  had  been  under  the  influence,  openly  and  through  secret 
channels,  of  carpetbaggers  from  the  Northern  States,  who  instilled 
in  their  minds  that  they  were  the  special  Wards  of  the  Government — 
the  "children  of  Israel,”  led  out  of  bondage  by  their  Moses  sent  from 
God,  cruelly  assassinated  in  Washington,  and  by  their  Joshua  who 
crushed  the  Philistines  at  Appomattox ; that  they  were  the  masters 
now  and  could  act  with  freedom  as  they  regarded  it. 

The  great  riots  of  Grant  Parish,  where  several  hundred  negroes 
were  slain,  and  Coushatta,  in  Red  River  Parish,  which  resulted  in 
the  execution  of  the  carpetbag  leaders  of  that  section,  were  the  off- 
springs of  Northern  adventurers. 

Referring  back  to  the  events  connected  with  the  negro  govern- 
ment of  Mississsippi  the  writer  must  be  excused  for  indulging  at 
length  on  these  occurrences.  They  Were  the  measures  adopted  by 
the  carpetbaggers  who  came  South  to  possess  themselves  of  the 
wealth  they  thought  existed  among  the  white  people,  and  they  were 


270 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


men  who  believed  the  government  would  confiscate  all  the  property 
of  those  engaged  in  the  war  on  the  Southern  side  and  divide  it  out 
among  those  who  had  been  instrumental  in  the  overthrow  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy ; a concerted  movement  of  rapine  and  plunder. 
This  class  of  men  put  in  their  claims  as  deserving  the  rewards  of  the 
conqueror,  and  they  were  not  scrupulous  about  how  they  obtained 
what  they  wanted.  It  mattered  not  to  them  if  all  the  white  people 
of  the  South  were  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  they  were 
men  to  do  their  dirty  work  through  the  ignorant  negro. 

The  Southern  armies  had  been  overcome,  and,  returning  to  their 
homes,  the  Confederate  soldiers  cherished  the  hope  of  being  able  to 
retrieve  their  lost  possessions,  but  within  their  hearts  there  was  a 
spark  of  manhood  left  and  it  never  became  dimmed  by  anything  that 
was  offered  by  their  enemies.  The  year  following  their  capitulation 
Was  a time  of  deep  distress  among  those  dependent  on  them  for  the 
absolute  necessities  of  life.  They  bore  the  indignities  of  the  mili- 
tary rulers  with  a patience  worthy  of  a race  of  freemen,  but  they 
never  yielded  a thought  which  they  believed  to  be  for  their  future 
welfare,  and  when  the  trying  ordeal  again  came  the  reward  of  a 
faithful  adherence  to  those  principles  which  gave  to  them  renewed 
hope  and  energy  Were  realized. 

A people  that  can  be  driven  to  the  verge  of  desperation  and  then 
recover  their  lost  liberties  by  the  power  of  mind  over  matter  are  a 
people  to  stand  the  cests  of  any  disaster.  In  the  years  that  follow 
these  events  there  will  come  to  the  surface  conditions  which  will 
disclose  all  the  virtues  of  a noble  race.  In  the  future  there  must  rise 
a spirit  which  will  animate  them  to  the  point  of  war  or  peace  at  all 
hazards,  and  in  the  conflict  which  shall  be  waged  against  the  South’s 
heroic  warriors  will  come  the  requiem  of  a dead  dynasty  buried  in 
its  own  polluted  garments,  which  shall  live  in  tradition  and  in  history 
and  story  as  the  shame  of  the  American  Continent.  For  a more 
unholy  piece  of  stupidity  and  oppression  never  cursed  a people  than 
the  rule  of  the  carpetbaggers  and  ignorant  negroes,  supported,  de- 
fended and  sustained  by  the  military  power  of  the  Government  of 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


271 


the  United  Northern  States  against  the  white  people  of  Mississippi  and 
Louisiana  during  this  period. 

It  is  well  that  the  people  of  the  South  should  persist  in  preserv- 
ing the  truths  of  history  and  keep  before  the  civilized  World  the  cruel 
enormities  practiced  upon  them  which  their  adversaries  have  endeav- 
ored to  falsify  and  conceal  from  the  rising  generations,  not  only  at 
the  North,  but  in  the  South,  and  to  force  into  the  school  books  for  the 
education  of  our  children  absolute  falsehoods  relating  to  events 
connected  with  the  Civil  War  and  the  reconstruction  era. 

Under  the  fluttering  folds  of  the  vaunted  star-spangled  banner, 
held  aloft  as  the  emblem  of  freedom  and  hope  and  happiness  for  the 
oppressed  of  all  nations,  the  very  people  whose  genius  made  it  famous 
in  what  it  represented,  upholding  it  in  times  of  peril,  were  made  to 
suffer  the  most  damnable  coercion,  subjugation  and  despotism,  and 
to  cover  up  their  crimes  against  the  South,  blot  out  the  records  or 
mutilate  history  with  glaring  falsehood,  while  their  poets  feebly 
sing  and  their  orators  swell  in  recounting  the  “immortal  deeds”  of 
their  invading  armies  whose  vandalism  was  never  equaled;  fighting 
for  freedom,  as  the  Hessians  of  England  fought  for  it  against  us  in 
the  revolution  of  1776,  and  in  depopulating  Nova  Scotia  of  the  un- 
fortunate Acadians,  scattering  them  along  the  bleak  and  wild  gulf 
coast,  as  they  fought  for  it  in  the  subjugation  of  Ireland,  and  as  the 
Spaniards  fought  for  freedom  in  Cuba  and  elsewhere.  Hundreds  of 
books  have  been  Written  and  published  by  Northern  men  on  events 
of  the  Civil  War  who  have  wilfully  falsified  the  number  of  men  en- 
listed and  used  in  the  subjugation  of  the  South.  The  writer  listened 
with  amusement  to  an  educated  young  man  from  the  State  of  Mich- 
igan regaling  a crowd  of  boarders  on  one  occasion  in  the  city  of 
Wagoner,  Indian  Territory,  on  the  history  of  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, stating  that  there  were  forty  thousand  men  killed  on  both 
sides  in  the  battle,  besides  enumerating  other  wonderful  things. 
Upon  being  asked  where  he  learned  that  history  he  answered, 
“from  an  English  Cyclopedia.”  His  story  was  that  Lee  had  125,000 
men  engaged  in  the  battle  and  Meade  only  75,000,  or  thereabouts. 
He  admitted  he  had  never  seen  the  “Rebellion  Record,”  published 


272 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


by  the  Government.  He  asserted  that  the  South  had  two  million 
of  men  and  the  North  had  one  million  of  men  during  the  War.  When 
I told  him  I happened  to  be  present  and  “performed  a part  in  that 
little  skirmish”  and  corrected  him  with  the  official  figures,  more  than 
he  were  struck  with  amazement.  That  if  he  Would  take  off  fifty 
thousand  from  Lee’s  forces  and  add  them  to  Meade’s  he  would  come 
nearer  to  the  truth  of  history;  that  the  forty  thousand  included 
killed,  wounded  and  prisoners  captured  on  both  sides. 

It  is  well  for  the  South  to  keep  in  mind  the  difference  in  the  num- 
ber of  forces  engaged,  and  for  the  benefit  of  those  in  whose  hands 
this  book  may  come  in  future  years,  I insert  the  following: 

The  South  enlisted,  all  told,  600,000  men,  which  included  those 
on  post  duty,  hospital  service  and  the  men  engaged  in  government 
service  not  actually  on  the  field.  From  an  article  Written  by  Gen. 
Stephen  D Lee  the  following  figures  are  gleaned: 

“The  North  enlisted  2,864,272  men  (not  including  three  and  six  months’ 
volunteers),  giving  them  2,264,272  men  more  than  the  South  had  altogether. 
To  this  must  be  added  600  vessels  of  war  manned  by  35,000  sailors  used  in  the 
blockade  of  Southern  ports,  harbors  and  river  warfare  in  support  of  their  army. 
Against  these  marvelous  odds  the  Southern  armies  fought  for  four  years,  suc- 
cessfully beating  them  back  until  by  the  casualties  of  war  they  were  completely 
overpowered  by  the  inexhaustible  recruiting  service  of  the  Northern  armies 
from  Europe.  There  were  only  100,000  effective  Confederate  fighting  men  for 
duty  in  the  field  when  the  war  ended.  The  death  roll  of  the  Confederate  armies 
numbered  325,000  men.  They  had  contested  every  foot  of  ground  against  their 
enemies  all  over  our  beloved  land  on  nearly  two  thousand  battlefields. 

“The  death  roll  of  the  Yankee  armies  numbered  359,528  men,  275,000  of 
them  buried  beneath  Southern  soil. 

“When  the  war  closed  the  enemy  had  one  million  (1,000,000)  men  for  duty 
in  the  field,  or  ten  men  to  one  Confederate,  and  a fabulous  pension  roll. 

“The  number  of  killed  or  mortally  wounded  of  the  Yankee  Army  in  battle 
amounted  to  five  per  cent  and  the  Confederates  ten  per  cent  of  the  numbers 
engaged,  which  is  larger  than  any  of  the  bloodiest  wars  of  Europe,  which  has 
not  been  more  than  three  per  cent. 

“In  this  great  struggle  the  North  owed  its  success  to  its  continuous  stream 
of  recruits  from  Europe  in  quest  of  the  |i,ooo  bounty  and  its  ability  to  blockade 
our  ports.  If  this  contest  had  been  narrowed  down  strictly  to  the  two  sections 
it  is  very  questionable  whether  the  South  would  ever  been  overcome;  and  it 
is  left  to  the  reader  to  judge  if  the  Yankee  armies  have  any  room  to  boast  of 
this  prowess,  or  honors  to  claim  in  their  invasion,  and  as  to  whether  the  judg- 
ment of  the  world  is  against  them  in  favor  of  the  South.” 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


273 


Bishop  Charles  B.  Galloway,  in  speaking  of  this  period  some 
years  later,  said: 

“The  final  test  of  Southern  character  was  not  displayed  in  laying  the  broad 
foundations  of  a new  civilization;  not  in  the  solemn  but  tumultuous  councils 
out  of  which  was  evolved  our  great  system  of  govermment;  not  in  the  historic 
halls  of  State,  where  Titans  struggled  for  mastery  over  national  principles  and 
policies;  not  in  the  splendid  valor  of  her  sons  in  the  storm  and  red  rain  of  ter- 
rific battle;  not  in  the  military  genius  of  her  peerless  captains,  pronounced  by 
critics  to  be  the  greatest  marshals  of  modem  times;  but  in  their  serene 
fortitude  and  unyielding  heroism  and  unconquerable  spirit,  after  the  storm  of 
battle  had  ceased  and  they  were  left  only  ‘the  scarred  and  charred  remains  of 
fire  and  tempest.’  Surpassing  the  splendor  of  their  courage  in  battle  was  the 
grandeur  of  their  fortitude  in  defeat.  The  sublime  hour  in  the  Southern  sol- 
dier’s life  was  the  time  of  his  pathetic  home-coming.  I have  seen  the  painting 
representing  the  returned  Confederate  soldier,  which,  in  my  judgment,  is  not 
true  to  the  facts  of  history.  He  stands,  in  tattered  garments,  amid  the  mins  of 
his  home,  the  gate  fallen  from  its  hinges,  weeds  covering  the  doorsteps,  leaning 
upon  his  old  musket,  with  a downcast  look  and  broken  heart.  As  a matter  of 
fact,  he  only  waited  long  enough  to  greet  the  faithful  wife  whom  he  had  not 
seen  for  four  stormy  years,  and  kiss  the  dear  children  who  had  grown  out  of 
his  recognition,  and  then  with  grim  determination  put  his  hand  to  the  stem  task 
of  reconstructing  his  once  beautiful  home,  and  rebuilding  his  shattered  fortunes 
on  other  and  broader  foundations.  Men  of  principle  never  falter,  though  they 
fail.  They  felt  the  bitterness  of  defeat,  but  not  the  horrors  of  despair.  How 
those  brave  men,  the  sons  of  affluence,  addressed  themselves  to  the  grinding 
conditions  of  sudden  and  humiliating  poverty  can  never  be  described  by  mortal 
tongue  or  pen.  And  those  pitiless  years  of  reconstruction!  Worse  than  the 
calamities  of  war  were  the  ‘desolating  furies  of  peace.’  No  proud  people  ever 
suffered  such  indignities,  or  endured  such  humiliation  and  degradation.  More 
heartless  than  the  robber  bands  that  infested  Germany  after  the  Thirty  Years’ 
War  were  the  hords  of  plunderers  and  vultures  who  fed  and  fattened  upon  the 
disarmed  and  defenseless  South.  Their  ferocious  greed  knew  no  satiety,  and 
their  shameless  rapacity  sought  to  strip  us  to  the  skin.  As  Judge  Jere  Black, 
with  characteristic  vividness  and  vigor,  has  said : ‘Their  felonious  fingers  were 

made  long  enough  to  reach  into  the  pockets  of  posterity.  They  coined  the 
industry  of  future  generations  into  cash  and  snatched  the  inheritance  from 
children  whose  fathers  are  unborn.  A conflagration,  sweeping  over  the  State 
from  one  end  to  the  other,  would  have  been  a visitation  of  mercy  in  comparison 
to  the  curse  of  such  a government.  ’ ’ ’ 

Such  are  the  honors  that  go  sounding  down  the  ages  the  Yankee 
soldiers  acquired  in  their  so-called  battle  for  liberty  and  the  flag. 

18 


274 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


The  Bishop  further  says: 

“But  no  brave  people  ever  endured  oppression  and  poverty  with  such  calm 
dignity  and  splendid  self-restraint.  And  by  dint  of  their  own  unconquerable 
spirit  and  tireless  toil,  they  saw  their  beautiful  land  rise  from  the  ashes  into 
affluence.  The  South  no  longer  ‘speaks  with  pathos  or  sings  miserere.’  She 
has  risen  from  poverty  and  smiles  at  defeat.  Out  of  the  fire  and  tempest  and 
baptism  of  blood,  our  State  has  come,  undaunted  in  spirit  and  unfaltering  in 
the  future.  It  is  said  that  the  green  grass  peacefully  waving  over  the  field  of 
Waterloo  the  summer  after  the  famous  battle,  suggested  to  Lord  Byron,  in 
his  Child  Harold,  to  exclaim: 

‘How  this  red  rain  has  made  the  harvest  grow!’  So  every  battle  plain 
that  was  once  furrowed  with  shot  and  shell  and  wet  with  the  blood  of  brothers, 
now  waves  with  abundant  harvest  of  a new  and  larger  life.  The  refluent  wave 
has  set  in.  After  a long  and  bitter  night  the  morning  dawns.  ‘It  is  daybreak 
everywhere’.” 

Following  in  the  same  line  of  thought  Chief  Justice  Albert  Hall 
Whitfield  said: 

“Cold  in  death  our  hearts  must  indeed  be  when  they  do  not  warm  to  our 
Tartan — the  Confederate  grey.  What  a civilization  rushes  upon  our  memory 
as  we  gaze  upon  you!  We  are  with  our  ancestors  of  the  sunny  South  of  old! 
We  see  again  that  ‘glorious  loyalty  to  rank  and  sex,’  that  proud  submission, 
that  dignified  obedience,  that  subordination  of  the  heart,  which  kept  alive, 
even  in  servitude  itself,  the  spirit  of  exalted  freedom.  The  unbought  grace  of 
life,  the  cheap  defense  of  nations,  the  nurse  of  manly  sentiment  and  heroic 
enterprise  is  there!  And  there,  that  sensibility  of  principle,  that  chastity  of 
honor,  which  felt  a stain  like  a wound,  which  inspired  courage  whilst  it  miti- 
gated ferocity,  which  ennobled  whatever  it  touched,  and  under  which  vice  lost 
half  its  evil  by  losing  all  its  grossness. 

“It  was  a civilization  which  developed  individualism;  it  magnified  man, 
it  enthroned  woman.  It  imparted  to  the  individual  the  sense  of  worth;  the 
honor  that  preferred  death  to  disgrace;  fidelity  to  every  trust;  the  sacred 
observance,  as  a matter  of  individual  conscience,  of  every  obligation,  national, 
State  and  social,  and  it  exacted  of  every  official,  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest 
military  and  civil,  that  stainless  standard  of  conduct,  that  lofty  conception  of 
public  office  as  a public  trust,  which  made  every  public  servant  tremble  under 
the  sense  of  responsibility,  like  the  needle,  into  place.  Cultivated,  fired  with 
the  noblest  patriotism,  self-centered,  used  to  power,  the  people  of  the  South 
gave  the  United  States,  by  this  matchless  statesmanship,  a government  strong 
in  its  justice  at  home,  great  in  its  dignity  abroad,  loved  as  the  asylum  of  the 
oppressed  of  all  lands,  attracting  at  once  the  reverence  and  the  affection  of 
universal  humanity.  Such  was  the  South  in  i860.  Illimitable  wealth  and 
boundless  content  were  present  everywhere.  Her  civilization  was,  in  all  that 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


275 


makes  up  the  real  blessings  of  civilization,  the  purest  and  loftiest  time  has  ever 
yet  known.  Her  people  stood  apart  among  the  nations  of  the  world.  Their 
bosoms  were  the  home  of  the  most  exalted  honor.  Whatever  was  mean,  or 
low,  or  sordid,  fled  scorned  from  her  borders.  Majestic  truth,  imperial  con- 
science, Olympian  power,  toned  by  the  very  courtesy  of  the  gods,  lifted  its 
noble  men  and  its  glorious  women  far,  far  up,  above  the  levels  of  all  other 
civilizations.  Content,  happy,  prosperous,  moved  always  to  splendid  action 
by  the  highest  ideal,  if  some  god  descending  from  superior  worlds,  in  quest  of 
the  race  most  akin  to  his  own,  had  swept  with  his  vision  the  land  of  the  South 
in  i860,  he  would  have  claimed  us  as  his  offspring,  and  here  made  his  home. 
Soldiers  of  that  elder  and  grander  day,  time  and  occasion  do  not  permit  refer- 
ence to  your  achievements  on  the  field  of  war.  Rather  let  me  hold  in  relief 
for  the  contemplation  of  your  country  a record  nobler  far  than  all  the  victories 
you  have  won. 

“Other  nations  have  greeted  returning  legions,  victorious  from  the  field, 
with  triumphal  arches,  with  marble  monuments,  with  cheering  thousands,  with 
processions  and  bonfires;  we,  whose  cause  is  said  to  have  been  lost,  can  bring 
alone  the  treasures  of  the  heart. 

“The  Confederate  soldier,  when  he  left  the  final  scene  of  surrender,  passed 
before  no  reviewing  stand,  was  greeted  by  the  thunderous  acclamation  of  no 
thousands  and  ten  thousands  of  his  fellow  citizens,  met  no  rejoicing  multitudes 
on  the  way  home,  has  since  been  sustained  by  no  pension  from  the  Federal  treas- 
ury in  his  struggle  with  penury  and  want.  I see  the  long,  grey  line  melting 
back  into  private  citizenship,  when  the  sword  of  Lee  was  tendered. 

“ ‘As  some  dark  thunder  cloud  lowers  upon  the  horizon,  marshals  its  battal- 
ions and  threatens  all  the  landscape  with  ruin,  yet  is  found,  on  the  succeeding 
morning,  in  pearls  of  dew  on  flower  and  blade  and  grass,  refreshing  and  beauti- 
fying God’s  earth,’  so  the  Confederate  soldier,  after  achieving  immortal  fame, 
and  presenting  the  most  matchless  front  that  ever  bore  back  invasion,  became, 
when  peace  spread  its  banner  o’er  the  land,  the  noblest,  the  safest,  the  surest 
citizenship  that'  ever  rescued  civilization  from  night. 

“Wearisome,  I see  him  plod  his  way  homeward.  Finally,  his  eye  rests  upon 
the  homestead,  property  all  gone,  in  many  instances  blackened  chimneys  to 
testify  how  truly  ‘War  is  hell,’  not  a rose  of  the  wilderness  left  on  its  stalk  to 
tell  where  the  garden  had  been.  Does  he  murmur?  Does  he  repine?  Not  so, 
my  countrymen.  He  took  up  those  burdens,  he  met  those  difficulties,  the 
prospective  statutes,  the  era  of  alien  mastery  and  dominion.  Repressing  all 
tendency  to  lawlessness,  restraining  everything  that  passed  the  bounds  of  rea- 
son and  prudence,  curbing  all  passion  in  his  onward  march,  he  gradually  but 
surely  brought  back,  out  of  chaos,  order 

“From  where  Potomac’s  waters  lave 
The  tomb  of  Washington 
To  Rio  Grande’s  distant  wave, 

Beneath  the  setting  sun, 


the  reign  of  beneficent  laws. 


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HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


‘I  know  that  McDonald  led  no  grander  charge  at  Wagram  than  did  Pickett 
at  Gettysburg;  and  I know  that  the  bodies  of  dead  Mississippians  were  found 
higher  up  that  dread  slope  than  those  of  any  other  State.  I know  that  the  aw- 
ful shock  at  Chickamauga’s  field  is  not  surpassed,  if  it  is  equaled,  in  the  annals 
of  tremendous  and  deathlike  stubbornness  of  fighting.  But,  I tell  you,  my  coun- 
trymen, that  the  grandest  monument  that  the  historian  shall  record,  as  rising 
in  perpetuation  of  the  name  and  fame  of  the  Confederate  soldier,  is  the  record 
that  he  left  through  the  days  of  reconstruction,  the  blessing  which  he  gives  us 
to-day  of  equal  sisterhood  in  the  union  of  States,  with  the  privileges  and  laws 
and  rights  our  fathers  left  us,  intact  and  undiminished. 

“But  I want  to  ask,  just  here,  the  question:  How  far  would  the  Confeder- 

ate soldier  have  gotten  in  that  magnificent  effort  if  it  had  not  been  that  he  had 
beside  him  the  inspiration  of  the  Southern  woman  ? 

“Women  of  the  South,  you  gave  into  his  hands  the  banner  of  the  free — 
you  cheered  and  upheld  him  on  ‘the  perilous  edge  of  battle;’  and  when  wounded 
or  dying  on  the  tented  field,  in  the  private  home,  in  the  hospital,  you  ministered 
to  his  wants,  bound  up  his  wounds,  or  closed  the  dying  eyes,  no  more  to  see 
‘wife  or  friend  or  sacred  home;’  you  were  performing  the  very  ministries  of  the 
angels  themselves. 

“It  is  a little  thing  to  give  a cup  of  water,  but  its  draught  of  cool  refresh- 
ment when  drained  by  the  fevered  lips  may  give  a shock  of  pleasure  to  the 
frame  more  exquisite  than  when  nectarian  juice  renews  the  life  of  joy  in  hap- 
piest hours.  It  is  a little  thing  to  speak  a word  of  common  comfort,  which,  by 
daily  use,  has  almost  lost  its  sense,  yet,  on  the  ear  of  him  who  thought  to  die 
unmoumed,  ’twill  fall  like  choicest  music. 

“There  are  those  listening  to  me  to-day  who  have  ministered  the  comfort 
that  should  bring  back  to  them  the  sweetest  of  memories.  And  when  the  war 
was  over  and  the  Confederate  soldier  returned,  he  was  met  not  with  reproaches, 
but  with  love,  sustained  by  confidence,  guided,  upheld.  God  has  so  ordained 
that  man  may  meet  the  brunt  of  some  sudden  storm,  may  live  through  and 
master  some  great  crisis,  but  it  is  woman  alone  who  can  wear  through  the  su- 
preme crisis  of  individual  or  national  life,  by  the  endurance,  the  fortitude 
and  the  patience  which  she  alone  possesses. 

“And  so  in  the  midst  of  the  gloom,  the  women  of  the  South  rose  resplendent 
to  the  occasion.  She  remembered  that  grief  sanctified  makes  great.  What, 
though  she  stood  amid  the  wreck  of  desolated  and  dismantled  homes,  with 
the  bright  relics  of  princely  fortunes  strewn  ruthlessly  about  her,  the  qualities 
of  the  eternal  granite  were  integrated  into  her  endurance.  What,  though  her 
household  Penates  lay  dashed  to  fragments  on  the  hearthstone,  her  idols  in 
the  eternal  silence,  and  the  power  of  the  despot  attempted  to  bury  in  the  grave 
of  the  slain  the  hopes  of  her  country,  set  its  seal  upon  the  grave,  rolled  the  rock 
upon  the  sepulchre  and  placed  its  watch.  Her  sublime  faith  has  lived  to  see 
the  resurrection  angel  of  the  South  roll  back  the  stone  from  the  sepulchre, 
destroy  the  seal,  break  the  fetters  of  political  disability,  shatter  the  bonds  of 
industrial,  agricultural  and  commercial  subordination,  and  raise,  radiant  from 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


277 


the  grave  of  the  old,  the  figure  of  the  new  South,  to  stand  in  transfigured  beauty, 
fronting  the  deepening  glories  of  the  Twentieth  Century,  ‘like  the  winged  god 
breathing  from  his  flight.’ 

“She  remembered  that  whatever  was  sublimest  in  the  annals  of  Christianity 
looms  o’er  the  ocean  of  time,  like  the  Northern  lights,  more  resplendent  for 
the  surrounding  shadow  of  relentless  persecution.  She  recalled  that  whatever 
is  most  glorious  in  the  achievements  of  military  heroes  have  been  the  triumphs 
of  men  who  were  cradled  in  storms  and  schooled  by  adversity.  She  remem- 
bered that  whatever  in  literature  is  truly  immortal,  unvarying  history  proves 
the  ripened  products  of  intellects  that  have  towered  to  the  regions  of  perpetual 
sunlight,  through  atmospheres  dark  with  clouds  and  tempests!  And,  remem- 
bering these  things,  she  called  her  patience  to  her  aid — she  summoned  her  en- 
durance to  the  tremendous  task;  she  nerved  the  returning  husband,  father,  or 
son,  to  the  herculean  task  of  the  years  that  have  just  receded  from  us,  and 
to-day,  women  of  the  South,  if  there  be  hope  in  this  land  it  is  due  to  your 
courage;  if  there  be  promise  in  the  future  it  is  the  result  of  your  faith;  and  if, 
my  countrymen  and  countrywomen,  if,  I say,  in  the  years  that  are  to  come, 
when  we  who  stand  under  this  evening  sky  shall  sleep  the  dreamless  slumber 
of  the  grave,  when  we  shall  no  more  be  known  amongst  men,  these  Southern 
States  shall  fill  with  fifty  millions  of  happy  men  and  women — if  the  Isthmian 
Canal  shall  be  gay  with  the  merchantmen  of  every  nation  upon  earth — if  the 
Galveston  of  the  future  shall  remember  the  Galveston  of  the  tempest  but  as  a 
nightmare  dream;  if  New  Orleans  and  Mobile  and  Savannah  and  Charleston 
and  Wilmington  and  our  own  Gulfport  and  a hundred  other  marts  shall  become 
imperial  ‘cities,  proud  with  spires  and  turrets  crowned,  in  whose  broad-armed 
ports  shall  ride  rich  navies  laughing  at  the  storm;’  if,  above  all  that,  literature, 
and  religion,  and  art,  shall  fill  this  land  with  temples  and  lyceums,  and  galleries 
glorious  with  immortal  paintings  and  statuary,  and  with  a knowledge  univer- 
sally diffused — if,  I repeat,  that  glorious  day  shall  come  to  this  land  we  love, 
the  land  of  the  magnolia  and  the  orange,  the  land  of  the  mountain  and  the  sea 
and  of  the  tropic  stars;  the  land  of  Lee  and  Jackson  and  of  Davis;  if  the  coming 
years  shall  bring  these  splendors  to  this  clime,  it  will  be  due,  women  of  the  South, 
to  the  deathless  fidelity  with  which  you  have  held  fast  to  the  principles  of  jus- 
tice and  right  and  truth;  immutable  and  eternal,  because  of  the  possession  of 
which  God  has  made  the  heart  of  woman,  in  every  age,  the  last  repository  of 
the  faith  of  every  creed,  and  the  patriotism  of  every  land. 

“Meet  indeed  it  is,  soldiers  of  the  Confederacy,  that  your  sons  have  deter- 
mined to  erect,  in  honor  of  the  transcendent  women  of  the  South,  whose  inspir- 
ing patriotism  made  you  in  war  the  finest  soldiery  of  time,  whose  love  and  sym- 
pathy and  fortitude  enabled  you,  through  wreck  and  ruin,  to  preserve  and 
perpetuate  the  liberties  of  your  country,  and  who  for  forty  years  have  annually 
covered  the  graves  of  your  dead  with  flowers  and  tears  of  fadeless  affection, 
a monument,  the  noblest  in  its  proportions,  the  most  exquisite  in  its  carvings, 
the  loftiest  in  its  inscriptions,  affection  has  ever  reared  to  make  virtue  immortal ! 
Let  it  rise  in  the  purity  of  spotless  white,  against  the  dark  background  of  our 


278 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


national  sorrows,  high  up  into  the  serene  heavens!  and  through  the  ages  to 
come,  when  garish  day  has  gone,  and  with  it  the  harsh  clangor  of  commer- 
cialism, let  the  vast  silence  of  the  starry  midnight  steep  it  in  holy,  healing 
quiet! 

“The  Southland  mourns  her  dead  to-day 
And  hangs  a funeral  pall 
From  Old  Virginia’s  crimson  plains 
To  Pickens’  gulf-girt  wall. 

Along  her  coasts,  across  her  fields, 

And  o’er  her  meadows  fair, 

She  mourns  to-day  her  chieftain  dead, 

In  earnest,  sadd’ning  prayer. 

The  humble  and  the  low, 

The  solemn  sounds  of  heartfelt  grief, 

In  fervent  prayers  now  flow.” 

— Emmet  L.  Ross. 


PEABODY  PUBLIC  SCHOOL,  SUMMIT. 

In  1868  one  of  the  first  public  schools  established  in  the  State  of 
Mississippi  Was  located  in  the  town  of  Summit.  It  was  inaugurated 
under  the  provisions  of  the  system  devised  in  the  will  of  the  great 
educational  philanthropist,  George  Peabody. 

Rev.  Bamas  Sears,  General  Agent  of  the  Peabody  educational 
fund,  visited  Summit,  and  under  an  agreement  for  an  equal  amount 
of  money  to  be  raised  by  the  people  as  an  endowment  for  the  support 
of  an  institute  of  learning,  the  Peabody  School  was  established  and 
its  doors  opened  at  the  Episcopal  rectory  in  November,  1868,  which 
was  leased  for  two  years  until  a suitable  building  could  be  erected. 

The  Board  of  School  Directors  consisted  of  Wm.  H.  Garland, 
James  B.  Quin,  James  N.  Atkinson,  Thomas  R.  Stockdale  and  Chas. 
E.  Teunison.  Rev.  Charles  H.  Otken,  of  Amite  County,  was  chosen 
as  Superintendent,  with  Mrs.  Josephine  Newton,  Mrs.  Mary  B.  Blin- 
coe,  Miss  Emma  Foumiquet  and  Miss  Hattie  Wicker,  afterwards 
wife  of  Sheriff-Captain  William  McNulty,  as  teachers. 

There  were  several  causes  that  contributed  to  the  difficulties  in 
the  beginning  of  this  institution  which  were  serious  obstacles  in  the 
way  of  its  Superintendent  and  teachers,  as  Well  as  the  authorities 
and  citizen  supporters  of  the  town  of  Summit. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


279 


The  country  had  been  desolated  by  the  war  and  there  was  a cha- 
otic condition  in  the  system  of  labor  incident  to  the  abolition  of 
slavery.  The  farms  had  to  be  rehabilitated  and  agricultural  indus- 
tries made  to  prosper  before  other  business  or  educational  enter- 
prises could  succeed,  except  under  the  most  trying  circumstances. 
We  were  in  the  beginning  of  the  ordeals  of  reconstruction.  The 
Federal  military  were  stationed  in  every  county.  Pike  County  had 
a negro  military  company  stationed  at  its  courthouse  under  an  officer 
whose  duties  came  under  the  plan  of  Thaddeus  Stephens  for  the 
Africanization  of  the  Southern  States,  which  throttled  die  efforts  of 
the  people  of  Summit  to  establish  the  Peabody  Public  School  in  the 
beginning.  But  the  men  and  women  who  were  interesting  them- 
selves had  passed  through  the  crucible  that  tested  their  strength 
and  their  virtues,  having  lived  through  the  flames  of  fire  and  the 
swelling  streams  of  blood  that  characterized  the  Civil  War. 

After  the  first  two  sessions  were  over  a handsome  building,  costing 
$5,000,  was  erected  and  the  attendance  rose  from  142  in  1868  to  347 
in  1871. 

Among  those  already  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  insti- 
tute will  be  found  the  names  of  C.  L.  Patton,  Mrs.  Annie  Jackson, 
Miss  A.  T.  Boyd,  Miss  Annie  Flowers,  Miss  Octavia  Johnson,  Miss 
Annie  Cunningham,  Miss  Ellen  Hamerton,  Miss  J.  B.  Grant,  Miss 
Caroline  Augusta  Lamkin,  Miss  G.  Leonard,  Rev.  J.  C.  Graham, 
J.  B.  Winn,  J.  M.  Sharpe. 

Dr.  Otken  filled  the  place  of  Superintendent  for  nine  years  and 
successfully  steered  through  the  most  difficult  period  of  its  exist- 
ence. During  the  nine  years  of  his  services  as  principal  the  school 
directors  were  Wm.  H.  Garland,  Thomas  R.  Stockdale,  Jas.  N.  Atkin- 
son, C.  E.  Tunison,  J.  L.  B.  Quin,  I.  Moise,  W.  A.  Cotton,  Wm. 
Cunningham,  Dr.  W.  W.  Moore,  Gen.  W.  F.  Cain,  Chas.  W.  Bean, 
Ben.  Hilborne,  Rev.  Wm.  Hoover,  Judge  Hyram  Cassidy,  Sr.,  and 
after  1872  Col.  Wm.  Campbell  and  Mr.  W.  T.  White  served  as  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  of  Directors. 


280 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


JUDGE  HUGH  MURRAY  QUIN. 

Judge  Hugh  Murray  Quin  was  a son  of  Peter  Quin,  Jr.,  and  Martha  Cathe- 
rine Moore.  The  Quins  were  from  York  District,  South  Carolina.  Peter,  Jr., 
married  his  wife  in  North  Carolina.  Her  mother  was  a Miss  Murray,  whose 
brother  was  the  author  of  Murray’s  Grammar. 

They  emigrated  and  settled  in  Holmesville  in  1815,  where  Hugh  Murray 
Quin  was  bom  on  the  22nd  of  February,  1819,  and  where  he  grew  up  and  was 
educated.  In  his  young  manhood  he  married  Delilah  Bearden.  He  settled  on 
a farm  purchased  from  Anthony  Perryman,  lying  in  the  Bogue  Chitto  Valley, 
one  mile  and  a half  above  Holmesville,  where  he  lived,  acquiring  considerable 
property  in  land,  slaves  and  stock.  He  was  for  many  years  clerk  of  the  court 
at  Holmesville  and  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of  law.  During  the  Civil  War 
he  filled  the  position  of  Probate  Judge,  and  after  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
county  courts  were  established,  he  occupied  the  bench  as  Judge  of  that  court, 
but  was  put  out  by  order  of  the  military  and  superseded  by  the  appointment 
of  Judge  T.  E.  Tate.  He  afterwards,  through  the  solicitation  of  the  people, 
moved  to  the  town  of  Summit,  and  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Mayor.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  term  he  returned  to  his  plantation  near  Holmesville,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death  in  1900. 

With  Delilah  Bearden  he  raised  the  following  children : Dr.  Lucius  M 

Quin,  who  married  Courtney  Magee;  Wallace  W.  Quin,  who  married  Neelie 
Williams;  Emma  Eoline,  who  married  Luke  W.  Conerly;  Lula,  who  married 
Charles  H.  Rowan;  George,  who  married  Alla  Irvin. 

Judge  Quin  was  left  a widower  by  the  death  of  his  wife  in  1867,  and  subse- 
quently married  Nannie  Sumrall,  of  Copiah  County.  With  her  he  raised  two 
children — Henry  and  Ina. 

After  returning  to  his  plantation  from  Summit  in  the  early  seventies,  he 
filled  the  position  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  his  district  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  about  twenty-seven  years. 

He  was  as  well  posted  in  the  laws  of  Mississippi  as  any  man  who  ever  lived 
in  Pike  County.  He  was  an  excellent  probate  judge  and  practitioner  in  chan- 
cery. He  was  the  soul  of  honor,  broad  minded,  liberal  to  a fault,  true  in  friend- 
ship, sympathetic,  loving  and  kind,  and  his  home  was  noted  for  being  the  place 
of  unbounded  hospitality,  where  the  humblest  wayfarer  could  always  find  a 
night’s  lodging  and  the  hungry  were  never  turned  away  from  his  gate  unfed. 
He  was  a warm-hearted,  devoted  husband.  He  loved  his  own  children  ten- 
derly and  those  who  became  members  of  his  family  by  marriage.  He  was  re- 
ligious and  a devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  a Mason  of  high 
standing.  He  was  sought  far  and  near  for  advice,  which  was  freely  given,  and 
few  men  have  lived  in  Pike  County  whose  death  was  more  regretted  and  whose 
loss  was  more  keenly  felt.  He  died  in  the  Christian  faith,  without  a blemish 
upon  his  name  or  his  character. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


281 


THE  BURRIS  MAGEE  TRIAL. 

One  of  the  most  noted  criminal  trials  that  occurred  in  Pike  County 
after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  was  that  of  J.  Burris  Magee,  of  Wil- 
kinson County,  charged  with  the  killing  of  Connover  in  Summit. 
Magee  had  been  a conscript  officer  in  the  service  of  the  Confederate 
Government.  A difficulty  arose  between  the  two  men  at  the  depot, 
Connover  using  violent  language  in  the  abuse  of  Magee.  The  latter 
withdrew  from  the  depot,  followed  by  Connover,  who  Was  armed 
with  a heavy  stick.  Magee  drew  his  revolver  and  leveled  it  at  Con- 
nover, telling  him  to  keep  back,  at  the  same  time  retreating  across 
the  street.  As  Connover  advanced  Magee  fired  one  shot  at  his  right 
arm  with  a view  of  stopping  him,  but  he  continued  to  advance  with 
his  uplifted  club.  Moving  backward  Magee  stumbled  in  a ditch  and 
fell,  and  as  Connover  with  his  stick  raised  over  him,  in  his  prostrate 
condition,  Magee  fired  on  him  again,  and  killed  him.  The  grand 
jury  of  Pike  County  indicted  Magee  for  murder,  though  the  prelimi- 
nary examination  disclosed  the  fact  that  it  was  not  necessarily  so, 
and  he  Was  given  bail. 

Magee  secured  the  sendees  of  three  of  the  most  noted  lawyers  in 
South  Mississippi,  Judge  Simrall  of  Wilkinson,  Judge  Hyram  Cassidy 
of  Franklin,  and  John  T.  Lamkin  of  Pike.  It  was  as  fine  a legal 
team  as  could  have  been  selected  in  the  State. 

At  the  trial  the  State  was  represented  by  H.  F.  Johnson,  Dis- 
trict Attorney,  latterly  President  of  the  Whitworth  College  at  Brook- 
haven,  and  Rev.  W.  H.  Hartley,  a Methodist  minister,  belonging  to 
the  Mississippi  Conference,  who  felt  it  his  duty  and  volunteered  to 
assist  in  the  prosecution  of  the  case.  The  trial  excited  widespread 
interest.  Judge  Simrall’ s part  of  the  programme  was  to  dwell  upon 
character,  the  reputation  of  the  defendant  and  his  people  in  the 
past.  John  T.  Lamkin  was  to  proceed  on  evidence  and  the  testimony 
of  witnesses  in  the  case,  and  Hyram  Cassidy  was  to  close  the  defense 
with  his  inimical  witticism,  anecdotes  and  ridicule.  The  destruction 
of  the  court  records  by  fire  in  Magnolia  rendered  it  impossible  to  give 
the  names  of  those  concerned  in  the  trial  and  the  writer  gives  it 
entirely  from  memory,  being  present  from  first  to  last. 


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HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Judge  Simrall’s  speech  on  character,  in  which  he  alluded  to  Judge 
Magee,  the  defendant’s  father,  in  Wilkinson  County,  a Christian 
gentleman  and  devoted  adherent  of  the  Methodist  Church,  whose 
house  Was  always  open  for  the  hospitality  of  its  ministers,  was  one 
of  the  finest  ever  delivered  in  the  Pike  courthouse.  John  T.  Lamkin, 
in  the  magnitude  of  his  superior  genius  on  testimony  and  evidence, 
eloquence  and  moral  influence,  stood  for  three  mortal  hours  before 
the  jury  in  defense  of  a client  who  had  acted  solely  in  self-defense. 
Judge  E.  McNair  was  on  the  bench.  A compact  mass  of  humanity 
filled  and  surrounded  the  courthouse. 

Judge  Cassidy  followed  “Brother  Hartley,”  as  he  spoke  of  him 
in  the  beginning  of  his  address  to  the  jury.  All  of  his  witticism, 
invective,  anecdotes  and  ridicule,  condensed  and  doubly  distilled, 
as  only  Hyram  Cassidy  could  do  it,  was  hurled  at  “Brother”  Hartley.” 
He  told  the  jury  how  the  “Brother”  had  so  often  received  the  hos- 
pitality of  Burris  Magee’s  father,  whose  beautiful  character  Judge 
Simrall  had  portrayed,  said  grace  at  his  table  and  eat  the  food  his 
beloved  and  Christian  mother  had  prepared  for  him,  accepted  his 
money  and  shared  in  the  support  he  had  given  his  church,  and  in 
the  plentitude  of  his  gratitude  he  had  come  here  and  volunteered  his 
services  in  the  prosecution  of  Judge  Magee’s  son  for  doing  only  that 
which  was  the  first  law  of  nature,  self-preservation. 

Judge  Cassidy  stated,  in  closing  his  address,  that  out  in  Franklin 
County  there  was  a certain  cross  roads  where  there  was  a whisky 
shop,  a blacksmith  shop  and  a race  track,  to  say  nothing  of  other 
matters  that  men  indulged  in  where  grand  jurors  were  not  generally 
allowed  as  guests  or  participants.  About  a mile  west  of  this  place 
Was  a farmer  who  had  some  noted  breed  of  pigs,  not  long  ushered 
into  existence.  About  the  same  distance  east  of  the  cross  roads  was 
another  farmer  who  Wanted  a pair  of  those  pigs  and  had  spoken  for 
them.  He  owned  an  old  negro  named  Ben.  At  the  cross  roads 
grocery  the  proprietor  owned  a gip  that  had  recently  presented  the 
establishment  with  a hamper  basket  full  of  puppies.  So  neighbor 
Jones  sent  Ben  over  to  neighbor  Smith’s  with  a basket  to  bring  him 
the  pair  of  pigs  he  had  spoken  for. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


283 


Ben  stopped  at  the  grocery,  and  in  order  to  get  a few  dashes  of 
"de  side  shuffle,”  and  "de  piggin  whing,”  the  boys  gave  Ben  a good 
jigger  of  red  eye,  who,  of  course,  was  free  to  tell  them  what  he  was 
going  over  to  Mr.  Smith’s  for. 

Ben  went  over  and  got  a pair  of  the  pigs  from  neighbor  Smith, 
put  them  in  his  basket  and  tied  a sack  over  them,  but  was  inately 
persuaded  to  stop  over  at  the  cross  roads  for  another  drink,  and 
while  he  was  doing  the  dancing  act  to  the  old  familiar  tune  of  "Hog- 
eye”  the  boys  made  the  exchange  and  put  a pair  of  puppies  in  Ben’s 
basket  in  place  of  the  pigs. 

When  Ben  got  home  he  was  gladly  welcomed  by  his  good  master 
Jones. 

"Well,  Ben,  have  you  got  my  pigs?” 

“Yasser,  Master,  and  dey’s  fine  pigs,  too,  dat  dey  is!” 

Ben  opened  the  basket. 

"Why,  Ben,  these  are  puppies.  I told  you  to  bring  me  a pair  of 
neighbor  Smith’s  fine  pigs.” 

Ben’s  eyes  dilated.  "Fore  God,  dey  is  puppies,  fur  a fac,  but  dey 
wus  pigs  when  I put  em  in  dar.” 

"Go  back  and  tell  Mr.  Smith  I want  pigs,  not  puppies.” 

Ben  shouldered  the  basket,  but  Was  again  inclined  to  stop  at  the 
grocery. 

"What’s  the  matter,  Ben?”  asked  the  boys. 

"Gwine  back  to  Mr.  Smith  to  git  dem  ar  pigs  Master  sont  me  fur. 
When  I got  home  wid  em  dey  Wus  puppies.” 

The  boys  entertained  Ben  with  another  jigger  and  “old  Jim 
Crow,”  while  the  puppies  were  exchanged  for  the  pigs,  the  basket 
covered  again  and  Ben  sent  on  to  farmer  Smith. 

"What’s  the  matter,  Ben,  don’t  Want  the  pigs?” 

"Oh,  yasser,  Master  says  he  wants  de  pigs,  but  dese  is  puppies.” 
"Take  the  cover  off,  Ben,  and  let  me  see,”  said  Smith.  "There, 
you  dam  fool  nigger,  don’t  you  see  they  are  pigs?” 

Ben  was  astonished.  "Fore  God  dey  is  pigs,  but  dey  wus  puppies 
when  I got  home  wid  em.” 

The  same  trick  was  repeated  at  the  cross  roads,  and  when  Ben 


284 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


got  home  the  second  time  and  opened  the  basket  there  were  the 
puppies.  Farmer  Jones  got  wrathy  and  told  Ben  to  take  them  back. 
Ben  was  outwitted,  but  after  a moment’s  philosophizing  he  raised 
himself  up  and  said,  "Master,  fo  God,  if  I wus  you  I wouldn’t  hab 
nutting  to  do  wid  dem  tings.  I fotch  em  here  and  deys  puppies,  I 
take  em  back  and  deys  pigs;  dey  kin  be  eider  pigs  or  puppies.” 

And,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  said  Cassidy,  this  is  the  deplorable 
condition  in  which  we  find  "Brother”  Hartley.  He  can  be  either  pig 
or  puppy,  and  has  acted  both  in  connection  with  this  trial.  A min- 
ister of  God’s  word,  sharing  the  kindness  and  hospitality  of  this 
defendant’s  home,  the  tender  ministrations  of  his  devoted  Christian 
mother,  and  then  volunteers  to  prosecute  her  son  and  place  the 
hangman’s  noose  about  his  neck  for  doing  that  which  he  himself 
would  have  done  under  similar  circumstances — to  save  his  own 
life,  take  that  of  his  antagonist,  if  he  had  a spark  of  manhood  about 
him. 

Magee  was  justly  acquitted,  but  the  previous  record  and  noto- 
riety of  Pike  County  jurors  in  cases  of  the  killing  of  a human  being 
by  another  made  it  doubtful.  There  was  a splendid  animal  standing 
near  the  public  square  waiting  the  verdict,  which  nothing  in  Pike 
County  could  overtake,  in  case  its  rider  felt  the  necessity  of  fleeing 
from  a cruel  and  unjust  verdict. 

David  W.  Hurst,  Who  was  a regular  attendant  of  the  Holmesville 
courts,  Was  a citizen  of  Liberty,  Amite  County,  in  the  zenith  of  his 
career  as  a lawyer.  He  Was  a man  of  great  ability,  and  while  a Warm 
personal  friend  of  John  T.  Lamkin  he  Was  usually  his  opponent  in 
great  contests  before  the  courts  in  Holmesville,  and  more  particu- 
larly in  cases  against  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & Great  Northern 
Railroad  Company.  He  Was  a persistent  and  stubborn  fighter  and 
full  of  sarcastic  wit.  He  was  a warm  personal  friend  of  Judge  John 
E.  McNair,  but  disliked  one  of  the  Chancellors  (Berris),  before  whose 
court  he  had  considerable  practice.  On  one  occasion  they  had  a 
case  up  in  which  the  rights  of  a girl  minor  were  involved,  and  her 
advocate  asked  the  Chancellor  if  she  were  entitled  to  a sewing  ma- 
chine. The  Chancellor  hesitated  and  stammered  sew — -sew — ma- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


285 


chine — machine — and  asked  one  of  the  other  lawyers  if  she  did  and 
he  could  tell.  Hurst  spoke  up  and  said  yes,  of  course  she  has,  and 
then  he  casually  remarked  that  the  Chancellor  was  all  right  now,  as 
he  had  something  with  peddles  he  could  work  with  his  feet,  and 
didn’t  need  any  brains. 

On  one  occasion  he  was  examining  a negro  witness  about  a fight 
and  asked  what  the  man  hit  the  other  one  with. 

"With  his  fist,”  said  the  witness. 

Then  what  did  the  man  he  hit  with  his  fist  do? 

“Why,  he  retreated  backward,”  Was  the  answer. 

Hurst,  in  commenting  on  the  testimony  of  the  witness,  said  he  had 
often  heard  of  retreats,  but  this  was  the  first  time  he  had  ever  heard 
of  a retreat  being  made  backwards. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  Joe  Tuff  Martin  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  in  Magnolia  in  partnership  with  Capt.  Jo.  Miller. 

Joe  Tuff  got  into  a scrap  with  Gen.  William  Cain.  The  General 
was  too  big  a man  for  him  and  got  him  down  and  Joe  fought  and  bit 
and  scratched  all  he  could  and  the  best  he  knew  how,  until  some  of 
their  friends  pulled  the  big  General  off  of  little  Joe  Tuff.  When  Joe 
Tuff  got  up  he  said,  “Well,  by  golly,  I can  say  what  no  other  man  is 
able  to  say,  and  that  is  I am  the  only  man  who  ever  fought  under 
General  Cain,  a distinction,  by  golly,  that  belongs  only  to  Joe  Tuff.” 

A negro  named  Martin  Russell,  who  had  served  in  the  Yankee 
army,  settled  in  Magnolia.  He  was  a man  of  fairly  good  education 
and  knew  how  to  cultivate  the  friendship  of  the  white  people  in  order 
to  further  the  interests  of  Martin  Russell.  He  lived  there  during  the 
exciting  political  campaign  of  1876,  and  Was  used  by  the  Democrats  in 
the  organization  and  leadership  of  negro  Democratic  clubs.  Martin 
thought  he  could  see  that  the  future  feathering  of  his  nest  depended 
largely  on  that  of  a brush  pile,  and  to  be  set  up  in  business,  which 
he  was  after  the  campaign  was  over,  but  eventually  failed  and  had 
to  fall  back  on  his  book  learning  for  a livelihood  and  engaged  in  school 
teaching  for  his  race.  His  school  grew  so  large  that  it  became  neces- 
sary for  him  to  have  an  assistant.  He  was  a good  judge  of  human 
nature  and  Was  urged  to  go  before  the  Board  and  plead  his  case  for 


286 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


an  assistant  teacher,  and  he  did  so,  making  a forcible  and  polite 
address  before  that  body,  which  it  was  decided  by  hearers  would  be 
effective  and  secure  what  he  asked. 

When  he  came  out  of  the  courthouse  he  was  complimented  on 
his  sensible  and  forcible  address  by  some  of  his  white  friends,  who 
believed  his  speech  was  convincing  and  that  he  would  get  what  he 
asked. 

“I  don’t  know,  gentlemen,”  said  he,  “this  Board  aint  got  on  any 
drawers,”  and  he  failed,  as  he  expected. 

Prior  to  1861  Holmesville  Was  a great  place  for  horse  racing. 
On  one  occasion  a man  came  riding  down  Main  Street  from  Louisiana 
leading  a little  long-haired,  flop-eared  Creole  pony.  The  California 
House,  which  was  then  in  its  prime,  had  its  complement  of  loafers 
and  customers.  Passing  this  place  some  one  asked  the  stranger 
what  he  was  going  to  do  with  that  long-haired  goat. 

“Never  mind  about  the  goat,  it  can  win  all  the  money  any  of 
you  may  have  to  risk  on  a race.” 

The  stranger  put  up  his  horses  at  Wm.  Johnson’s  livery  stable 
and  stopped  at  his  hotel,  and  then  sauntered  leisurely  out  on  the 
streets  and  about  the  California  House  and  got  up  some  talk  on  horse 
racing.  He  boldly  remarked,  while  in  a drinking  mood,  that  he 
would  put  up  his  “goat”  pony  against  anything  in  the  town  on  a 
quarter  dash,  Wheel  and  go,  Without  bridle  or  rider,  and  the  boys 
took  him  up.  Saturday  Was  the  day  fixed  for  the  race. 

Eugene  Weathersby  had  recently  bought  a large,  long,  active 
Tennessee  horse  from  a drove,  and  the  Holmesville  sports  decided 
to  put  this  horse  against  the  pony  on  the  day  of  the  race.  The  news 
got  out  in  the  country  and  the  town  was  crowded.  There  was  an 
old  field  below  town  and  a level  stretch  from  Owen  Conerly’s  mill  on 
the  river  below,  and  this  was  the  place  selected  to  make  the  run. 

At  the  appointed  hour  Weathersby’s  horse  was  trotted  out  with 
one  of  the  best  jockey  riders  on  his  back.  A little  boy  came  after- 
wards leading  the  sleepy  looking  pony  with  a halter  on  and  a red 
girth  around  its  body. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


287 


Two  to  one  on  the  horse,  and  bets  went  flying  through  the  crowd 
that  came  in  from  the  country.  Hundreds  of  dollars  were  put  up  and 
the  Louisiana  stranger  took  every  bet  he  could  get  offered  against 
his  pony. 

After  all  the  preliminaries  Were  arranged  the  animals  Were  taken 
down  to  the  mill  to  make  the  start,  the  stranger  leading  his  pony. 
They  were  placed  in  position  with  their  heads  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion from  which  they  were  to  run.  At  this  moment  the  pony  opened 
her  eyes  and  cut  them  back  in  the  opposite  direction.  Her  master 
patted  her  on  the  neck  and  spoke  a few  words  of  kindness  to  her  and 
she  nerved  herself  for  the  contest.  Weathersby’s  horse  had  won 
considerable  money  in  other  races  and  his  backers  felt  sure  of  an 
easy  victory.  The  owner  of  the  pony  unhooked  the  halter  rein  and 
at  the  word  “Go”  the  pony  reared  and  whirled  on  her  hind  feet  and 
shot  off  like  an  arrow  and  was  a hundred  yards  away  before  Weath- 
ersby’s horse  got  fairly  started,  and  as  she  ran  out  at  the  judges, 
stand,  300  feet  in  the  lead,  she  kicked  up  her  heels  and,  circling  the 
grounds  with  wild  prairie  style,  came  trotting  back  to  the  stand. 


288 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


CHAPTER  VII. 

NEWSPAPERS. 

In  1840  Henry  Smith  Bonney  first  entered  a newspaper  estab- 
lishment as  apprentice  in  the  office  of  A.  W.  Forsyth  at  Liberty,  in 
Amite  County.  He  was  a son  of  Nancy  Floyd  and  Perez  Bonney, 

who  were  married  at  Soco,  Maine, 
May  16,  1819,  and  immigrated  to 
Holmesville  in  1831. 

Their  children  Were  William,  Hen- 
ry Smith,  Samuel,  Joel  and  Harriet, 
who  married  Major  Gibson,  and  twin 
daughters,  Mary  Louise  and  Martha 
Elizabeth,  dying  young. 

Perez  Bonney  was  born  in  the 
Province  of  New  Brunswick  Novem- 
ber 26,  1797. 

Henry  Smith  Bonney  married  Miss 
Evelyn  French  Adonis,  daughter  of 
J.  Q.  Adonis  and  Pella  Experience 
Davy,  of  Massachusetts.  She  Was 
a sister  of  Lucy  Whitmore  Adonis, 
the  wife  of  Curlette  and  then  Henry 
Francis,  the  carriage  maker  at 
Holmesville,  and  subsequently  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Page. 

After  serving  his  apprenticeship 
for  two  years  at  Liberty,  Henry  S.  Bonney,  in  1842,  established  a 
newspaper  business  for  himself  at  Holmesville,  calling  it  the  Holmes- 
ville Whig,  then  the  Quarto  Whig,  and  later  the  Planters’  Free  Press. 
In  1847  he  went  to  New  Orleans  and  worked  on  the  New  Orleans  Bee 
and  the  Commercial  Bulletin. 

In  the  meantime  Barney  Lewis  and  Robert  Ligon  established  the 
Southron  at  Holmesville. 


Nelson  P.  Bonney 
Summit  Sentinel 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


289 


In  1851  Henry  S.  Bonney,  after  his  marriage,  returned  to  Holmes- 
ville  and  for  the  next  two  years  was  employed  on  the  Southron,  when 
he  bought  the  material  of  the  office  and  established  the  Holmesville 
Independent,  which  he  continued  up  to  1862,  when  he  joined  the 
Holmesville  Guards,  organized  by  John  T.  Lamkin,  who  became 
Captain  of  the  Company  and  was  attached  to  the  33d  Mississippi 
Regiment  under  Col.  David  W.  Hurst,  C.  S.  A.  In  1869  he  moved 
to  Osyka  and  started  the  Reporter. 

After  the  railroad  entered  the  county  and  depots  were  located, 
John  Waddill  established  the  Grand  Trunk  Magnolian  at  Magnolia. 
This  was  succeeded  by  the  establishment  of  the  Magnolia  Gazette  by 
J.  D.  Burke. 

After  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  Fleet  T.  Cooper  established  the 
Summit  Times,  which  subsequently  fell  into  the  hands  of  Capt.  John 
A.  Crooker  and  changed  from  a Democratic  to  a Republican  paper. 
Crooker  sold  it  to  William  H.  Garland,  Jr.,  who  conducted  it  in  the 
interest  of  the  Republican  party  in  1875. 

In  1870  Henry  S.  Bonney  discontinued  the  Osyka  Reporter  and 
moved  to  Magnolia  and  began  the  publication  of  the  Eureka  Cen- 
tralian.  This  enterprise,  like  its  predecessor,  was  short  lived  and  he 
moved  everything  to  Summit,  which  was  aiming  to  become  the  lead- 
ing town  in  the  county,  and  here  he  established  the  Summit  Sentinel, 
which  still  lives  as  the  grandchild  in  the  fifth  degree  of  the  Holmes- 
ville Whig. 

Henry  S.  Bonney  Was  the  pioneer  editor  and  newspaper  man  of 
Pike  County.  He  possessed  persistent  and  staying  qualities  and 
was  an  acknowledged  able  and  fluent  Writer,  and  down  to  the  present 
time,  for  sixty-three  years,  his  name  and  the  influence  of  his  papers, 
through  his  own  long  term  of  sendees,  and  that  of  his  son,  Nelson  P. 
Bonney,  has  been  associated  with  Pike  County,  the  latter  with  the 
Sentinel  for  thirty-four  years,  but  in  fact  wdth  his  father’s  business 
from  childhood  on  the  Holmesville  Independent. 

Henry  Smith  Bonney  and  Evellyn  French  Adonis  were  the  par- 
ents of  the  following  children:  Nelson  P.  Bonney,  editor  Summit 

Sentinel;  Mrs.  E.  E.  Davison,  Washington,  D.  C.;  Mrs.  W.  T.  Head, 

19 


290 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Terry,  Miss.;  Miss  Flora  A.  Bonney,  Summit;  C.  D.  Bonney,  New 
Orleans,  La.;  R.  M.  Bonney,  Terry,  Miss. 

Nelson  P.  Bonney’s  wife,  whom  he  married  in  1881,  Was  Miss 
Alexis  A.  Foumieque,  of  New  Orleans,  La. 

In  1875  Luke  W.  Conerly,  who  was  editing  the  Amite  County 
Democrat,  in  Amite  City,  Tangipahoe  Parish,  La.,  was  urged,  by  his 
old  comrades  and  friends  in  Pike  County,  to  establish  a partisan  cam- 
paign paper  at  Magnolia  to  aid  in  the  defeat  and  overthrow  of  the 
Republican  regime  that  had  held  sway  since  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War.  He  had  for  the  previous  eight  years  been  connected  with  the 
stirring  events  of  Louisiana  in  the  struggle  of  her  people  during  the 
reconstruction  era  and  was  at  this  time  an  adherent  of  the  John 
McHenry  State  government,  and  was  at  the  time  commander  of  a 
company  of  young  men  at  Amite  City  training  for  service  in  support 
of  the  White  League.  Louisiana  was  making  the  great  struggle 
of  her  life  and  so  was  Mississippi  to  re-establish  the  supremacy  of 
white  rule  now  under  the  dominating  power  of  Republican  carpet- 
bag-negro rule,  supported  by  the  military  of  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment over  the  Southern  States. 

Yielding  to  the  solicitations  of  his  friends,  he  bought  an  old  ex- 
tinct newspaper  outfit  at  Ponchatoula,  La.,  and  shipped  it  to  Mag- 
nolia. He  was  given  a room  in  the  store  of  Cornelius  C.  Gibson, 
and  with  the  assistance  of  James  Ballance,  an  experienced  printer, 
on  the  17th  of  September,  1875,  he  issued  the  first  number  of  the 
Magnolia  Herald,  and  continued  as  its  proprietor  and  editor  until 
1878,  When  he  sold  it  to  Henry  C.  Capell  and  Charlie  Lee.  J.  D. 
Burke  afterwards  got  possession  of  the  office  material  and  revived  the 
old  Gazette. 

In  1875  the  McComb  City  Intelligencer,  devoted  to  immigration 
and  industrial  pursuits,  Was  established  with  W.  H.  Townsend  as 
editor. 

After  the  overthrow  of  the  Republican  regime  in  the  county  the 
Summit  Times  Was  consolidated  with  the  Sentinel  under  the  name 
Times-Sentinel  and  subsequently  changed  back  to  the  Summit  Sentinel. 

Richard  B.  May,  a little  lad,  picked  up  a card  press  in  1874  and 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


291 


procured  some  cards  and  paper  and  printer’s  ink,  with  a few  words 
of  encouragement  from  this  writer,  and  began  his  newspaper  career. 
He  afterward  drifted  to  New  Orleans  and  learned  book  binding,  and 
later  on  established  the  McComb  City  Enterprise. 

After  J.  D.  Burke’s  last  venture  with  the  Magnolia  Gazette  it  was 
owned  and  edited  by  John  S.  Lamkin.  It  then  became  the  property 
of  D.  M.  Huff  and  from  him  it  passed  to  H.  H.  Norwood. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

In  Louisiana,  a detachment  of  Federal  soldiers,  under  one  Colonel 
De  Trobiand,  marched  into  the  legislative  halls  of  that  State,  while  in 
session,  and  forcibly  ejected  Louis  A.  Wiltz  and  Robert  L.  Luckett 
therefrom,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  without  a substance  of  reason 
except  that  they  were  Democrats  and  dared  to  expose  the  infamy  of 
those  in  control  of  the  State  government;  and,  in  1875,  the  further  out- 
rage of  driving  Governor  John  McEnery  out  of  the  executive  office,  to 
which  he  had  been  duly  and  legally  elected  by  a majority  of  over  14,000 
votes,  and  installing  William  Pitt  Kellogg,  an  imported  politician, 
were  so  criminal  in  their  nature  as  to  arouse  the  white  people  of  Louis- 
iana to  a state  of  revolution.  These  circumstances,  being  a repeti- 
tion of  the  scenes  perpetrated  in  Mississippi,  instigated  by  the  most 
infamous  designs  on  the  liberties  of  the  people,  and  the  threatened 
destruction  of  their  racial  character,  were  the  means  of  bringing  to  the 
front  the  perfect  manhood  and  intellect  of  the  two  States. 

Away  from  the  scene  of  action  one  could  not  realize  the  efforts  of 
those  whose  homes  were  involved  and  their  masterful  self-control. 
They  had  resisted  every  attempt  to  Africanize  their  States,  and  while 
doing  so,  carefully  avoided  coming  again  in  conflict  with  United  States 
troops,  which  was  the  only  hope  of  the  negro-carpetbag  element. 
They  could  create  a revolution  in  their  own  States  and  struggle  on 
until  the  future  should  develop  something  to  give  relief.  Nothing 


292 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


but  the  full  power  of  the  United  States  army  among  them  could  stay 
their  determination  to  drive  our  their  oppressors.  Politically  the 
negroes  were  a unit. 

The  White  League  and  the  Bulldoozer  organizations  were  formed 
in  both  States,  the  latter  being  more  on  the  order  of  the  Ku  Klux  Klan. 
This  organization  had  its  origin  in  the  early  seventies,  and  was  com- 
posed of  the  agricultural  element  of  the  country,  whose  property  had 
been  so  repeatedly  depredated  on  by  thieves.  They  were  unable  to 
get  redress  through  the  courts  in  numerous  instances,  and,  as  a means 
of  self-protection,  they  banded  together  and  hunted  down  the  crim- 
inals and  punished  them  in  their  own  way,  which,  in  most  cases,  was 
done  by  a vigorous  application  of  the  bull  whip;  and  "bull-whipped” 
got  to  be  a common  phrase  and  a common  remedy  to  punish  depre- 
dators on  the  live  stock  and  fowls  of  the  farmers. 

In  the  roll  of  the  Summit  Rifles,  recorded  in  this  book,  will  be 
found  the  name  of  Louis  Wagoner,  who  served  through  the  war  in 
Virginia  as  a Confederate  soldier.  He  was  a blacksmith  and  was  liv- 
ing in  the  town  of  Clinton,  in  East  Filiciana  Parish,  La.,  at  the  in- 
ception and  beginning  of  the  organization  of  Bull  Whippers.  Becom- 
ing irritated  with  some  one  on  an  occasion  when  he  was  in  his  liquor, 
he  remarked:  "Tam  him,  I’ll  bull  dosch  him.”  The  word  then  grew 
to  bulldose,  then  bulldoozer,  and  lastly  bulldozer.  This  organization 
was  a strong  one  and  existed  in  the  Florida  Parishes  of  Louisiana  and 
in  the  southern  counties  of  Mississippi.  It  was  made  up  principally 
of  farmers,  or  those  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  originated 
purely  and  simply  for  mutual  self-protection  of  each  other  from  the 
depredations  of  thieves  and  criminals.  It  has  been  wrongfully 
charged  against  the  merchants  of  the  Florida  Parishes  of  Louisiana 
and  of  the  Southern  counties  of  Mississippi  that  they  were  responsible 
for  this  on  account  of  their  oppressions  of  the  farmers  and  greed  for 
gold,  by  driving  them  into  such  an  organization.  This  proposition 
is  simply  one  of  theory  set  up  by  those  who  are  practically  unacquaint- 
ed with  the  facts.  It  was  natural  for  every  merchant  in  Pike  County 
and  elsewhere  to  try  to  benefit  his  financial  condition,  and,  being  men 
of  business  experience,  they  knew  their  own  welfare  depended  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


293 


welfare  of  the  intelligent  farmers  of  the  country.  While  there  may 
have  been  a few  cases  of  unjust  and  oppressive  dealings  which  invited 
retaliation  from  the  Bulldozer  organization,  or  members  of  it,  the  fair 
minded,  impartial  reader  will  scarcely  entertain  the  proposition  that 
the  merchants,  on  account  of  their  worship  of  the  god — gold,  can  be 
held  responsible  for  this  organization.  In  its  very  inception  this 
writer  became  familiar  with  all  the  causes  and  fretful  conditions 
which  led  to  the  necessity  of  a unity  of  action  among  neighborhoods 
to  protect  themselves  from  criminals.  He  got  right  in  among  these 
people  at  the  time  in  East  Filiciana,  St.  Helena,  Tangipahoe  and 
Washington  Parishes  and  elsewhere,  consulted  with  them  and  learned 
from  their  own  lips  the  causes  which  made  them  feel  the  necessity  of 
an  organization  which  Would  give  security  to  their  property  and  their 
families.  Arm  chair  philosophers,  ministers  of  the  gospel  and  news- 
paper theoretical  writers,  have  been  misled  themselves  and  have 
indulged  in  false  theories  and  given  current  circulation  to  false  pub- 
lications against  the  Bulldozer  organization  of  South  Mississippi  and 
the  Florida  Parishes  of  Louisiana.  A theory  based  on  false  premises 
is  more  sinful  and  has  a more  deplorable  effect  than  the  acts  reputed 
to  the  Bulldozers.  The  writer  is  not  summarizing  on  hearsay  nor 
theory.  There  is  a difference  in  obtaining  facts  by  mixing  with  the 
operators,  and  basing  conclusions  upon  reports  received  from  afar  off. 
In  these  days  the  country  was  flooded  with  criminals  of  all  classes — 
whites  as  well  as  negroes.  Horse-stealing,  cattle  and  hog-stealing, 
and  sheep -stealing  pervaded  the  land 

Negro  camp  meetings  became  a chronic  disease;  their  zeal  and 
enthusiasm  in  religion  was  encouraged  by  ministers  of  the  gospel  for 
their  good.  Their  camp  meetings  extended  through  weeks  at  a time, 
becoming  an  unbearable  nuisance,  at  which  time  the  chickens,  hogs 
and  cattle  of  the  White  farmers  who  needed  their  labor  were  conspic- 
uously thinned  out.  It  Was  freedom,  and  these  imitating  worshippers 
assembling  in  large  bodies  for  weeks  at  a time,  must  be  fed,  and  they 
had  little  of  their  own  to  subsist  upon;  and  while  the  mass  of  them 
were  supposed  to  be  conforming  to  the  well-wishers  of  the  various  de- 
nominations, squads  were  scouring  the  surrounding  country  at  night, 


294 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


doing  the  commissary  act  on  chicken  roosts  and  com  cribs,  cattle 
herds,  sheep  ranches  and  pig  sties.  In  one  immense  gulley  in  East 
Filiciana  was  found  the  heads  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  cattle,  thrown 
in  there  by  these  negro  camp  meeting  love  feasters,  stolen  from  the 
planters  and  farmers  in  the  vicinity.  The  Writer  afterwards  Worked 
one  of  the  leaders  of  this  gamg  on  a sugar  plantation  in  Louisiana. 

The  frequent  mysterious  disappearance  of  stock  and  products 
of  the  farm  during  these  religious  revelries  made  it  necessary  for  the 
farmers  to  get  together  and  make  investigation  and  devise  Ways  and 
means  to  check,  if  not  entirely  break  up,  these  depredations.  They 
were  traced  to  the  correct  source  and  the  farmers  saw  it  Was  necessary 
to  have  some  unity  of  action,  and  hence,  formed  into  squads,  and,  as 
these  criminals  could  not  be  reached  with  any  certainty  of  punish- 
ment by  the  courts,  they  resorted  to  the  whipping  post,  and  to  secure 
themselves  against  legal  process  for  taking  the  law  in  their  own  hands, 
it  became  obligatory  upon  all  the  neighbors  to  become  members  of 
the  law  and  order  society.  Hence  the  Bullwhippers — hence  the  Bull- 
dozers. This  organization  continued  to  grow,  but  its  inception  and 
formation  had  no  relation  to  the  merchants  at  the  time,  nor  to  any 
political  motive.  It  afterwards  drifted  in  that  direction  and  became 
identified  with  the  White  League.  The  White  League  organization 
was  formed  in  every  parish  in  Louisiana,  its  purpose  being  to  over- 
throw the  carpetbag  and  negro  rule  of  the  State. 

In  the  State  of  Mississippi,  in  the  fall  of  1875,  there  Was  to  be  an 
election  to  fill  the  offices  of  State  Treasurer,  members  of  Congress, 
District  Attorneys,  State  Senators,  Representatives,  Sheriffs,  Chancery 
and  Circuit  Clerks,  and  on  down,  for  all  the  county  and  precinct  offices, 
and  it  Was  determined  that  no  means  should  be  spared  to  bring  about  a 
sweeping  victory  for  the  party  supported  by  the  native  white  people. 

A long  time  had  elapsed  since  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  and  the 
carpetbag-negro  government  was  held  over  them  only  by  the  power 
of  military  authority.  At  the  close  of  the  war  they  were  powerless, 
but  in  the  course  of  time,  through  agricultural  means,  they  had  be- 
come strong  and  self-reliant  and  Were  prepared  to  undertake  a more 
radical  course,  and  when  the  campaign  of  1875  came  on  they  were 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


295 


prepared  to  furnish  proof  of  the  power  of  intelligence  over  ignorance, 
vice  and  stupidity. 

The  removal  of  the  court  house  from  the  town  of  Holmesville 
was  a question  which  had  agitated  the  entire  population  of  Pike  Coun- 
ty, and  one  which  created  a strong  enmity  between  two  of  the  rail- 
road towns.  The  main  issue  on  this  question  was  its  central  locality. 
The  question  was  sprung  as  to  the  center  of  population,  the  railroad 
people  holding  that  the  western  portion  of  the  county,  being  more 
thickly  populated,  should  have  the  court  house,  and  the  eastern  people 
declaring  that  it  should  remain  in  its  present  geographical  center, 
declared  by  law  to  be  the  permanent  seat  of  justice. 

Summit,  which  had  acquired  a larger  population  than  any  other 
town,  was  anxious  to  have  the  court  house  moved  to  that  place. 
McComb  Was  in  its  infancy,  and,  being  made  up  largely  of  an  immi- 
grant population,  was  not  in  a position  to  make  contention.  Mag- 
nolia Wanted  it  and  Osyka,  being  in  the  extreme  southern  part  of  the 
county,  favored  Magnolia.  The  election  decided  in  favor  of  Magnolia. 
The  Board  of  Supervisors  rented  an  old  frame  building  in  the  lower 
part  of  town,  near  the  railroad  avenue,  and  had  the  records  moved 
from  the  old  clerk’s  office  at  Holmesville,  and  then  the  quarrel  began 
over  the  insecurity  of  the  records.  The  Board  of  Supervisors 
proceeded  to  advertise  for  the  building  of  a new  court  house  and 
for  the  issuance  of  bonds  for  the  payment  of  the  same.  The  town 
of  Summit  contended  that  the  county  was  unable  to  build  a new 
court  house  and  an  injunction  suit  was  instituted,  which  was  carried 
to  the  Supreme  Court,  but  the  removal  of  the  court  house  and  the 
proceedings  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  were  sustained.  During 
this  time  the  fever  of  animosity  between  the  two  towns  had  risen 
several  degrees  above  the  normal  and  the  two  were  so  stirred  up  as 
to  make  it  absolutely  unpleasant  for  a person  living  in  one  town  to 
visit  the  other.  The  women  even  caught  the  infection  and  would 
toss  their  heads  and  shake  their  skirts  in  derision  at  each  other,  which 
was  very  hurtful  to  those  of  a tender  and  sympathetic  nature.  So- 
ciety functions,  in  which  our  Southern  women  of  aristocratic  mould 
took  delight,  were  greatly  interfered  with  by  this  unhappy  state  of 


29G 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


affairs,  as  a woman  of  one  of  the  towns  might  refuse  to  take  part  or 
participate  in,  if  a Woman  of  the  other  had  anything  to  do  with  it. 

This  was  a local  condition  existing  at  the  beginning  of  the  cam- 
paign of  1875,  and  when  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Democratic 
party  began  its  preparations  for  the  November  election  the  county 
was  in  a turmoil  over  the  court  house  question. 

A recent  edict  of  the  Republican  party  indicated  that  a system 
of  intimidation,  as  in  the  past,  Would  be  inaugurated,  and  then  the 
Democrats,  Bulldozers  and  White  League  determined  to  overthrow 
the  negro-carpetbag  government  at  all  hazards,  “peacefully  if  possi- 
ble, forcibly  if  they  must,”  and  a regularly  organized  system  of  work 
was  determined  on. 

One  important  thing  was  necessary  to  be  done  to  insure  success 
and  to  prevent  the  bloody  scenes  which  were  sure  to  follow,  which  Was 
the  immediate  disbandment  of  Ames’  negro  militia,  then  under  arms  to 
intimidate  them. 

On  the  13th  day  of  October,  1875,  in  the  town  of  Osyka,  a meeting 
was  held  and  addressed  by  David  W.  Hurst  and  Isaac  Applewhite. 

A set  of  resolutions  were  adopted  and  a club  formed  as  an  initial 
move  to  aid  in  the  coming  election.  The  club  was  composed  of  all 
the  best  men  in  the  town  and  was  the  first  to  enter  the  campaign. 
Isaac  W.  Cutrer  was  elected  its  President  and  Joe  Mallett  its  Secretary. 

On  this  same  day  it  so  happened,  by  pre-arrangement,  that  a 
conference  was  held  by  a committee  of  citizens  of  different  sections 
of  the  State,  and  Governor  Ames,  in  the  city  of  Jackson,  when  it  was 
agreed  that  all  the  militia  should  be  disbanded  at  once.  This  was  a 
measure  preconceived  by  the  White  League  and  which  alone  would 
prevent  a bloody  revolution  throughout  the  entire  commonwealth. 

When  the  people  of  Pike  County  put  out  their  ticket  it  was  not 
certain  how  the  election  would  terminate.  It  was  so  uncertain  that 
a well  organized  party  was  necessary. 

John  S.  Lamkin,  who  was  Chairman  of  the  County  Executive 
Committee,  issued  a call  for  a meeting  of  the  committee  on  the  1 5th 
of  October,  two  days  after  the  organization  of  the  club  at  Osyka  and 
the  conference  meeting  at  Jackson.  The  success  of  the  party  in  Pike 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


297 


was  so  uncertain  it  was  thought  best  to  make  an  effort  to  employ  or 
secure  the  services  of  a newspaper  to  be  located  at  the  seat  of  justice, 
if  possible,  to  aid  in  the  campaign. 

In  the  town  of  Summit  The  Sentinel,  edited  and  published  by  the 
able  veteran  pioneer  newspaper  man  of  Pike,  stood  alone.  The  Sum- 
mit Times,  established  in  1866  by  Fleet  T.  Cooper,  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  Capt.  John  A.  Crooker,  who  converted  it  into  a Republican 
paper.  He  sold  it  to  William  H.  Garland, 

Jr.  Garland  had  been  associated  with 
the  Democratic  party,  but  took  up  the 
Times  in  the  interest  of  the  Republican 
party  and  became  a candidate  for  the 
State  Senate.  He  was  a son  of  William 
H.  Garland,  Sr.,  one  of  the  original 
founders  of  the  New  Orleans,  Jackson  & 

Great  Northern  Railroad  Company,  now 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company,  a 
leading  man  in  this  great  enterprise  and 
the  first  man  to  build  a handsome  resi- 
dence in  the  town  of  Summit. 

When  young  Garland  began  to  make 
speeches  and  write  strong  editorials  it 
was  seen  that  something  besides  mere 
organization  was  necessary.  John  Quin- 
cy Travis  Was  a candidate  for  Sheriff  on 
the  Republican  ticket  against  R.  H. 

Felder,  Democrat;  and  Frederick  W. 

Collins,  Republican,  was  a candidate  for 
re-election  as  Circuit  Clerk  against  Dr.  A.  P.  Sparkman,  Democrat. 

Travis  was  an  ex-Lieutenant  of  the  Quitman  Guards  and  had  lost  a 
hand  at  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville,  Va.,  May  2,  1863. 

Sparkman  had  been  a member  of  the  same  company  and  was  dan- 
gerously wounded  in  the  battle  of  Cross  Iveys  in  the  Valley  Campaign, 
under  Ewell  and  Stonewall  Jackson,  in  1862.  These  facts  were  not 
lost  sight  of  by  the  ex-Confederates  of  Pike  County. 


Dr.  Achilles  P.  Sparkman 
Quitman  Guards 

Wounded  and  disabled  at  the  Battle  of 
Cross  Keys,  Va.,  June  8th,  1862 

Dr.  Sparkman  married  Mary  E. 
Vaught,  daughter  of  Maj.W.W. Vaught, 
one  of  the  charming  girls  who  partici- 
pated in  the  banner  presentation  in 
1860.  Dr.  Sparkman  was  elected  Cir- 
cuit Court  Clerk  of  Pike  County  in  1875, 
and  has  held  that  position  consecu- 
tively since  then,  covering  a period  of 
thirty-four  years. 


298 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


A delegation  of  citizens  inv'.ced  the  writer,  editor  of  the  Amite  City, 
(La.)  Democrat,  to  Magnoli  „ for  a conference,  the  result  of  which  was 
to  establish  a paper  at  once  at  Magnolia,  which  was  done,  and  the  Her- 
ald began  on  the  17th  of  September,  1875,  with  the  writer  proprietor 
and  editor,  and  when  the  campaign  was  opened,  its  services  were  given 
to  the  candidates  nominated  by  the  Democracy. 

Frederick  W.  Collins,  the  candidate  on  the  Republican  ticket, 
had  been  holding  the  office  of  Circuit  Clerk  since  his  appointment 
by  Governor  Alcorn  and  his  election  in  1873  and  gave  entire  satis- 
faction to  the  people,  and  he  Was  a hard  candidate  to  beat.  His 
magnetism  and  personal  popularity  was  such  that  the  party  he  be- 
longed to  even  during  this  period  of  political  animosity,  was  lost  sight 
of  by  those  with  whom  he  had  grown  up,  but  in  this  election  he  was 
pitted  against  an  ex-Confederate  soldier — a member  of  the  Quitman 
Guards — Who  had  become  disabled  by  a serious  wound  received  in  the 
battle  of  Cross  Keys,  Va. 

R.  H.  Felder,  the  candidate  for  Sheriff  on  the  Democratic  ticket, 
had  filled  the  office  by  election  as  the  successor  of  Louis  C.  Bickham, 
had  been  put  out  by  the  military,  had  served  as  deputy  for  many 
years  and  was  a popular  man,  but  he  Was  pitted  against  a handless 
veteran.  U pon  the  above  four  men  hinged  the  election  in  Pike  County. 

Upon  general  principles  the  issue  was  white  supremacy 

During  this  campaign,  according  to  a correspondent  of  the  New 
Orleans  Picayune,  the  town  of  Columbus  Was  fired  in  fourteen  differ- 
ent places  in  one  day  by  radical  negroes.  The  fire  Was  quickly  extin- 
guished and  the  citizens  armed  and  placed  the  city  under  martial  law. 
Four  negroes  Were  caught  in  the  act  of  setting  fire  to  the  houses  and 
they  Were  immediately  shot,  and  the  New  Orleans  Delta  stated  that 
on  the  4th  of  October  a consignment  of  forty  boxes  of  cartridges 
came  in  over  the  New  Orleans  and  Mobile  Railroad  to  William  Pitt 
Kellogg,  the  usurper,  of  Louisiana. 

These  and  other  circumstances  intensified  the  fever  of  excitement 
and  a clash  between  the  races  was  avoided  only  by  the  great  self- 
control  and  counsel  of  the  white  leaders. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


299 


The  campaign  was  short,  but  decisive,  in  its  results  for  white 
supremacy.  The  Democratic  party  carried  the  State  by  forty  thou- 
sand majority. 

In  Pike  County  the  result  was  as  follows: 

State  Senator — R.  H.  Thompson,  Dem.,  over  W.  H.  Garland,  Jr.,  Rep. 

Representative — James  M.  Causey,  Dem.,  over  C.  W.  Beam,  Rep. 

Sheriff — J.  Q.  Travis,  Rep.,  over  R.  H.  Felder,  Dem. 

Chancery  Clerk — William  M.  Conerly,  Dem.,  over  Gideon  Montford,  Rep. 

Circuit  Clerk — A.  P.  Sparkman,  Dem.,  over  F.  W.  Collins,  Rep. 

Treasurer — Henry  S.  Brumfield,  Dem.,  over  C.  S.  Simmons,  Rep. 

Assessor — Samuel  R.  Lamkin,  Dem.,  over  P.  F.  Williams,  Rep. 

Surveyor — S.  M.  Simmons,  Dem.,  over  Peres  Bonney,  Rep. 

Coroner  and  Ranger — E.  P.  Stratton,  Ind:,  over  H.  S.  Bonney,  Dem.  (com- 
plimentary vote). 

Supervisors — First  District,  John  G.  Leggett,  Dem.;  Second  District,  Wal- 
ter M.  Lampton,  Dem.;  Third  District,  E.  C.  Andrews,  Dem.;  Fourth  District, 
R.  L.  Lenoir,  Dem.;  Fifth  District,  William  L.  Coney,  Rep. 

Justices  of  the  Peace — First  District,  J.  M.  Vamado,  Dem.,  John  A.  Walker, 
Dem.;  Second  District,  J.  H.  Crawford,  Dem.,  A.  F.  Lampton,  Dem.;  Third 
District,  E.  L.  Reeves,  Dem.,  F.  M.  Walker,  Dem.;  Fourth  District,  S.  A.  Mat- 
thews, Dem.,  W.  S.  Mount,  Dem.;  Fifth  District,  W.  C.  Harrell,  Dem.,  E.  P. 
Stratton,  Dem. 

Constables — First  District,  L.  T.  Vamado,  Dem.,  Andrew  Jackson,  Dem.; 
Second  District,  Harris  Bullock,  Dem.,  William  Graves,  Dem.;  Third  District, 
L.  W.  Sartin,  Dem.,  Henry  Jones,  Dem.;  Fourth  District,  H.  H.  Kuykendall, 
Dem.,  G.  T.  Smith,  Dem.;  Fifth  District,  Ed.  Ricks,  Joe  Norris. 

The  Independent,  a Republican  paper  published  at  Amite  City  by 
R.  W.  Reed,  commenting  on  this  election,  said: 

“ The  Magnolia  Herald  has  had  its  effect.  That  town  has  gone  Republican.” 

To  which  the  Herald  replied: 

“Yes,  ‘The  Herald  has  had  its  effect.’  Pike  County  has  gone  Democratic 
by  225  average  majority,  and  the  force  of  The  Herald  has  been  acknowledged. 
The  town  of  Magnolia  went  Democratic.  The  Republican  vote  polled  here 
did  not  live  in  Magnolia.  Most  of  them  were  like  the  great  mass  of  the  Repub- 
lican party:  They  were  interlopers.” 


“ ‘Roll  on,  Thou  Deep  Blue  Sea’!” 


300 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


“ ‘As  little  as  you  may  think  of  it,’  says  The  Magnolia  Herald,  ‘somebody  is 
going  to  get  beat  next  Tuesday.’  And  The  Herald  knows  who  it  is  just  as  well 
as  it  knows  its  own  party.” — Amite  (La.)  Independent. 

Again : 

“The  Magnolia  Herald  and  other  Democratic  organs  of  Mississippi  think 
they  have  everything  fixed  to  their  own  liking,  and  talk  gushingly  of  the  ‘roll 
of  the  deep  blue  ocean.’  The  sea  is  too  far  distant  to  be  of  any  service  to  drown 
the  sorrow  of  their  approaching  defeat,  but  a mighty  wave  of  another  color  will 
roll  inward  and  produce  some  Democratic  lashing  and  heaving  that  will  put  the 
salt  water  to  shame.” 

To  which  the  Herald  replied: 

‘‘Your  rotten  radical  concern  has  been  shattered.  The  echoing  thunders  of 
a Democratic  victory  are  heard  all  over  the  land  and  are  caught  up  by  the 
echoing  voices  of  the  deep!  ‘Roll  on,  thou  deep  blue  ocean,  roll!”’ 

And  the  white-capped  waves  rolled  on. 

FROM  NEW  ORLEANS. 

Editor  Magnolia  Herald: 

Sir:  Yours  of  the  24th  received.  No  “loud  crowing  cocks”  in  stock.  The 

demand  has  exceeded  the  supply.  Yours  truly, 

E.  C.  Palmer  & Co. 


“Mississippi  is  redeemed.  Truth  and  honesty  and  intelligence  have  pre- 
vailed over  falsehood,  ignorance,  fraud  and  oppression.  The  hand  lifted  to 
crush  Mississippi  has  been  paralyzed.” 

said  the  Herald. 

“The  immaculate  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  colored,  who  tried  so  hard  to  stick 
his  finger  in  Pike  County  politics,  did  a little  fingering  over  in  Amite  this  time, 
and  the  last  we  heard  of  him,  he  was  in  Summit  tracking  it  after  Parker  and 
his  layout.  He  said  he  ‘woods’d  it’  all  the  way  from  Liberty,  and  that  if  he  dab- 
bles in  politics  again  he  wants  somebody  to  kill  him.  He  had  better  go  back  to 
Massa  Tom  Green  Davidson,  of  Louisiana,” 


said  the  Herald. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


301 


The  largest  vote  polled  in  Pike  County  Was  between  Janies  M. 
Causey,  who  received  1,414,  against  C.  W.  Beam,  who  received  1,188. 

An  important  question  to  be  considered  by  the  farmers  and  plant- 
ers of  the  county  was  a system  of  labor  that  could  be  relied  upon, 
and  a more  perfect  confidence  among  the  negroes  themselves  in  the 
duties  to  which  their  new  conditions  had  brought  them. 

The  last  days  of  slavery  were  fraught  with  many  troubles  and  the 
negroes  were  in  a fearful  condition  of  unrest,  if  such  may  be  said, 
and  when  the  events  of  the  past  Were  brought  back  to  them,  they 
again  thought  of  the  dangers  of  re-enslavement. 

The  carpetbagger  Was  the  barrier  which  prevented  the  prosperity 
that  should  follow  the  productions  of  the  Southern  States,  under  a 
peaceful  management  of  the  negro  labor.  His  eternal  intermeddling 
in  the  plans  of  the  planters,  by  exciting  them  and  diverting  their 
minds,  Was  an  ever  fruitful  means  of  destroying  the  good  that  might 
have  been  done  in  the  quiet  control  of  the  negroes  under  their  former 
masters. 

When  the  carpetbaggers  Were  compelled  to  retire,  the  burden  of 
responsibility  to  secure  an  equal  protection  to  the  negroes  was  given 
to  the  whites  and  they  proved  the  certain  fact  that  they  were  the 
better  friends  in  all  that  pertained  to  their  Welfare. 

In  the  year  1871,  when  the  great  school,  which  became  a part  of 
the  State’s  charge,  was  put  in  a fair  way  to  educate  the  children  of  the 
negroes,  the  voice  of  reason  was  heard  and  they  began  to  see  the 
light  which  previously  had  only  shown  to  them  in  the  temples  of  the 
strangers  who  had  come  to  fatten  on  their  ignorance. 

Among  all  the  great  commonwealths  of  the  South  there  are  none 
which  have  given  to  the  negroes  a more  liberal  opportunity  than  the 
State  of  Mississippi. 

In  the  fall  of  1875,  when  the  visions  of  departing  freedom  came  to 
them,  they  trembled  and  felt  the  force  of  the  white  man’s  power,  and 
when  it  was  shown  to  them  that  their  fears  were  groundless,  a perfect 
confidence  should  thus  have  been  a part  of  the  outcome,  but  instead 
of  this,  it  was  broken  into  by  the  ever-prevailing  incubus  of  political 
excitement.  A better  understanding  had  come  to  the  surface  and 


302 


HTSTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


the  negroes  had  understood,  but  not  heeded.  If  such  forces  as  those 
used  in  the  past  to  convince  were  not  necessary,  it  Was  considered  to 
be  so  by  the  White  League. 

In  a few  months  after  the  election,  the  executive  committee  gave 
notice  that  there  would  be  a national  election  held  in  the  coming  fall 
and  it  was  desired  to  keep  up  all  organization  and  to  arrange  a plan 
to  insure  the  success  of  the  white  man’s  party  in  the  State.  When 
we  look  back  and  see  the  condition  of  things,  and  see  the  success  of 
the  White  League  over  the  rule  of  carpetbaggers,  held  in  power  by 
the  military,  it  shows  the  fallacy  of  not  trying  to  make  their  past 
success  a fixture;  and  when  it  is  shown  that  the  future  Welfare  of 
both  races  must  depend  on  the  superior  race  now  in  power,  it  will 
be  understood  why  the  methods  used  Were  resorted  to. 

“Forget  and  forgive — this  world  would  be  lonely, 

The  garden  a paradise  left  to  deform, 

If  the  flowers  but  remembered  the  chilling  winds  only 
And  the  trees  gave  no  verdure  for  fear  of  the  storm.” 


Thus  spake  1876  to  1875  as  she  assumed  control  over  our  ever 
changing  destinies. 

On  the  10th  day  of  January,  1876,  the  town  of  Magnolia,  now  the 
permanent  seat  of  justice,  held  an  election  to  fill  the  offices  of  mayor 
and  coun oilmen. 

At  this  election  Frederick  W.  Collins,  Republican,  who  had  been 
defeated  for  the  office  of  Circuit  Clerk,  was  elected  Mayor,  and  the 
following  persons,  all  Democrats,  Were  elected  Councilmen:  William 
M.  Conerly,  Cornelius  C.  Gibson,  William  M.  Wroten,  and  Jonas  Hiller; 
and  Henry  S.  Copes,  Secretary,  Treasurer  and  Tax  Collector. 

Beginning  With  the  new  year,  Hugh  Q,  Bridges’  name  was  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  Summit  Sentinel  as  associate  editor. 

The  new  board  of  supervisors,  composed  of  John  G.  Leggett,  Presi- 
dent; Walter  M.  Lampton,  Elisha  C.  Andrews,  Robert  L.  Lenoir, 
Wm.  L.  Coney,  John  Quincy  Travis,  Sheriff,  and  William  M.  Conerly, 
Clerk,  was  organized  on  Monday,  January  3,  1876. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


303 


Wm.  Brown  & Co.’s  bond,  contractors  for  the  building  of  the  new 
court  house,  Was  approved  and  filed.  , 

Judge  T.  E.  Tate,  Republican,  Was  confirmed  as  school  superin- 
tendent by  the  State  Senate. 

Charles  L.  Patton  became  the  owner  of  the  Summit  Times  and  the 
only  newspaper  ever  published  in  Pike  County  in  support  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  negro  government  under  military  domination 
was  expurgated,  re-baptized  in  the  folds  of  white  supremacy. 

Through  the  machinations  of  W.  D.  Redmond,  Dr.  Barrett, 
ex-Sheriff  Parker,  of  Amite  County,  and  a few  of  their  sympathizers 
about  Summit,  a company  of  United  States  cavalry  Was  stationed 
at  McComb  City,  with  orders,  it  was  said,  to  protect  Redmond  and 
aid  him  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  United  States  Deputy  Revenue 
Collector. 

When  the  result  of  the  election  in  Amite  County  Was  made  known, 
Parker,  Barrett  and  Redmond  fled  the  county,  under  a pretended  fear 
of  assassination. 

It  was  said  that  Parker  and  Barrett  were  particularly  obnoxious 
to  the  people  of  Amite  County,  but  it  was  denied  that  there  was  any 
animosity  entertained  toward  Redmond,  who  was  connected  with  a 
very  prominent  family  of  Amite  by  marriage. 

After  the  election  they  had  been  dodging  about  between  New 
Orleans  and  Jackson,  under  the  pretense  that  their  lives  were  in  dan- 
ger. Christmas  week,  a few  planters  went  to  Summit  to  sell  their 
cotton  and  buy  their  supplies.  They  camped  a mile  or  so  from  town 
and  during  the  night  Were  fired  upon  by  a party  of  negroes  and  white 
men,  and  several  of  their  number  wounded.  The  following  day  a 
party  of  men  from  Amite  County,  hearing  of  the  shooting  of  their 
friends,  went  to  Summit  to  make  an  investigation  of  the  affair  and, 
if  possible,  learn  Who  were  the  perpetrators  of  the  deed.  During  the 
day  more  or  less  excitement  prevailed.  Some  unguarded  men  became 
intoxicated  and  a small  row  occurred  which  was  promptly  quelled. 
After  this  another  melee  Was  raised  at  the  market  house,  near  the 
depot,  which  was  quelled  by  General  Cain,  Chief  of  Police,  and  a few 


304 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


citizens.  It  was  said  that  Redmond  was  present  as  a spectator  and 

was  not  disturbed  nor  threatened.  When  the  row  ceased,  the  next 

§ 

day,  Redmond  stepped  into  the  telegraph  office  and  sent  a message 
to  Collector  Shaunnessey,  at  Jackson,  that  he  was  being  driven  from 
county  to  county  by  an  armed  body  of  men,  fifty  or  sixty  in  number, 
and  that  he  could  not  perform  the  duties  of  his  office  without  troops. 
Shaunnessey  telegraphed  to  Washington,  and  upon  his  statement 
President  Grant  ordered  the  troops  to  be  sent. 

The  citizens  of  Summit  got  up  a statement  of  the  facts  in  the  case, 
signed  by  nearly  all  the  white  people  of  the  town,  including  some 
leading  Republicans,  and  corroborated  by  a certificate  from  Sheriff 
Travis  and  Chancery  Clerk  W.  M.  Conerly,  falsifying  Redmond’s 
report  of  the  necessity  for  troops,  but  this  had  no  effect,  and  the  troops 
were  sent  to  McComb  City  and  quartered  there  among  its  people. 

A committee  appointed  by  the  State  Legislature,  composed  of 
J.  E.  Leigh,  Chairman  E.  A.  Rowan,  A.  C.  McNair  and  James  W.  Shat- 
tuck,  reported  that  the  only  relieving  excuse  or  feature  provided  to 
justify  Redmond’s  charge  that  he  was  pursued  from  Amite  County 
was  that,  in  a drunken  row  at  Summit,  personal  threats  were  made 
by  one  or  more  drunken  men,  who  Were  not  armed,  against  Redmond, 
which  caused  him  to  leave  town,  and  that  the  charges  alleged  in  his 
message  to  Shaunnessey  were  false  and  the  demand  for  troops 
unwarranted  by  the  facts. 

This  was  regarded  as  the  first  step  toward  an  effort  in  the  future 
to  reestablish  the  Sarpetbag  government  in  power.  It  was  a repeti- 
tion of  what  had  been  done  in  the  past  and  the  White  League  so 
regarded  it,  and  a more  perfect  organization  of  the  white  people  in 
Pike  County  was  determined  on. 

In  the  month  of  February,  1876,  T.  W.  Cordoza,  the  negro  Super- 
intendent of  Education,  was  impeached  and  allowed  to  resign  Feb- 
ruary 22. 

In  the  month  of  March,  A.  K.  Davis,  the  negro  Lieutenant-Gover- 
nor, was  convicted  of  high  crimes  and  misdemeanors  and  removed 
from  office  by  the  State  Senate,  sitting  as  a court  of  impeachment. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


305 


Charges  for  impeachment  against  Governor  Ames  were  preferred 
and  his  trial  begun.  He  Was  allowed  to  resign  March  29th,  1876,  and 
John  M.  Stone,  President  of  the  State  Senate,  became  Governor. 

On  April  4th,  1876,  Rev.  William  H.  Roane  died  in  the  town  of 
Magnolia.  He  was  born  November,  1826,  near  Huntsville,  Ala.; 
was  educated  at  Oglethorpe  College,  Georgia,  and  a member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  North,  and  graduated  in  the  Theological  Sem- 
inary of  South  Carolina,  preached  the  gospel  upwards  of  twenty 
years  and  was  a practitioner  at  the  bar  in  Pike  County.  He  was  a mem- 
ber of  the  State  Legislature  and  did  all  in  his  power  for  the  well-being 
of  the  people.  He  was  a classical  scholar  and  a Mason,  and  deserves 
to  be  remembered  as  one  who  did  much  to  ward  off  the  perils  of  a race 
conflict  and  other  bloody  scenes  threatened  during  the  troublesome 
times  previously  mentioned. 

After  the  impeachment  of  the  negro  Superintendent  of  Education, 
Cordoza,  the  negro  Lieutenant-Governor,  James  K.  Davis,  the  resig- 
nation of  Governor  Ames,  and  the  instalment  of  a complete  white 
man’s  government  in  Mississippi,  the  New  Orleans,  La.,  Democrat , 
edited  by  H.  J.  Hearsey,  had  this  to  say: 

“Radicalism  has  literally  gone  to  pieces  in  Mississippi.  The  Mississippians 
made  a heroic  fight  and  won  their  State.  When  their  Legislature  assembled 
and  talked  about  impeachment,  Morton  endeavored  to  intimidate  them  by  his 
threats,  while  fierce  dispatches  announcing  that  armies  of  troops  were  to  be 
quartered  in  the  State,  were  sent  from  Washington,  in  the  New  York  Herald, , 
and  other  journals  of  the  same  class,  raised  the  stereotyped  howl  that  the  South- 
ern whites  were  bent  on  revolution;  that  so  soon  as  they  got  in  power  they 
began  to  make  war,  and  other  stuff.  But  the  Mississippians  didn’t  bully  worth 
a cent.  They  told  the  New  York  Herald  and  the  people  of  other  States  to 
attend  to  their  own  business,  and,  thinking  it  time  enough  to  get  scared  when 
the  troops  came  down  on  them  with  fixed  bayonets,  they  went  right  ahead, 
drew  up  the  charges  against  the  rascals  who  had  the  State  government,  got 
full  proof  of  them  and  impeached  Davis  and  Ames.  This  did  the  business  in 
Mississippi.  So  soon  as  it  was  evident  that  the  Mississippians  were  in  earnest 
and  could  only  be  prevented  from  doing  their  duty  by  being  cleaned  out  vi-et- 
armis,  the  bullyism  stopped,  and  radicalism  went  utterly  to  pieces.  We  wish 
Louisiana  could  charter  the  Mississippi  Legislature  for  about  a week  or  ten  days.” 
20 


306 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


On  April  26th,  1876,  the  survivors  of  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi 
Regiment  had  a reunion  at  Summit.  In  view  of  that  coming  event, 
Capt.  Thomas  A.  Garner,  Capt.  Alph  A.  Boyd,  and  Ed.  H.  Mogan, 
addressed  a letter  to  Gen.  W.  S.  Featherston,  inviting  him  to  come 
to  Summit  to  deliver  an  address.  The  Sixteenth  had  been  under 
General  Featherston  in  Virginia  prior  to  his  transfer  to  the  Army  of 
Tennessee.  It  is  considered  proper  to  incorporate  General  Feather- 
ston’s  letter  in  this  book,  as  the  Summit  Rifles  and  the  Quitman 
Guards  Were  members  of  this  regiment  and  served  under  him  while  he 
commanded  the  brigade  in  Virginia,  being  succeeded  by  Gen.  Carnot 
Posey: 

Jackson,  Miss.,  April  7,  1876. 
Messrs.  T.  A.  Garner,  E.  H.  Mogan,  and  A.  A.  Boyd. 

Gentlemen  : Your  letter  of  April  4th,  inviting  me  to  address  the  survivors 

of  the  Sixteenth  Regiment  of  Mississippi  Volunteers  at  their  reunion  on  the 
26th  day  of  this  month,  at  Summit,  has  been  received  and  duly  considered. 

Nothing  would  afford  me  more  pleasure,  gentlemen,  than  to  be  able  to  com- 
ply with  your  request.  I should  be  proud  to  meet  the  survivors  of  that  gallant 
and  noble  regiment  of  Confederate  soldiers  and  shake  them  by  the  hand  and 
talk  with  them  about  our  common  toils,  sacrifices  and  sufferings  in  the  past  as 
well  as  of  the  virtues  of  our  lamented  comrades  in  arms,  who  fell  on  the  field  of 
battle.  A better  regiment  I never  saw  under  arms  than  the  Sixteenth  Mississip- 
pi. Patient  under  discipline,  unfaltering  in  the  discharge  of  duty,  prompt  in 
action  and  heroic  and  invincible  in  the  face  of  the  foe,  it  had  no  superior.  But, 
gentlemen,  I have  been  away  from  my  family  and  private  interests  since  Sep- 
tember last,  devoting  my  time  entirely  to  public  service. 

When  the  Legislature  shall  adjourn,  at  the  close  of  the  next  week,  I shall  be 
compelled  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  meeting  you  on  the  26th  at  Summit,  and 
return  to  my  family  and  my  home.  Thanking  you,  gentlemen,  sincerely,  for 
the  honor  of  this  invitation,  and  wishing  you  and  all  the  survivors  of  the  Six- 
teenth Regiment  prolonged  lives  of  happiness  and  usefulness,  I am  very  truly, 
your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

W.  S.  Featherston. 

General  Featherston,  a representative  from  Marshall  County, 
had  been  conspicuous  in  the  Legislature  in  offering  a resolution  for  a 
committee  to  be  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  official  conduct  of 
Adelbert  Ames,  acting  Governor  of  the  State  of  Mississippi,  which 
was  adopted  and  he  was  appointed  on  that  committee,  which  resulted 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


307 


in  the  impeachment,  trial  of  and  resignation  of  Ames  and  the  reinstal- 
ment of  white  supremacy. 

May  9,  1876,  a meeting  was  held  at  the  court  house  for  the  pur- 
pose of  fixing  on  some  plan  of  demonstration  to  be  given  upon  the 
day  of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  the  new  court  house,  which  was 
fixed  for  Saturday,  May  27th  following,  and  Dr.  George  Nicholson, 
Deputy  Grand  Master  of  the  Seventh  District  of  Mississippi,  was 
invited  to  conduct  the  ceremonies  according  to  the  usages  of  the 
Masonic  order.  John  S'.  Lamkin,  Samuel  E.  Packwood,  Thomas  R. 
Stockdale,  and  Isaac  Applewhite  Were  selected  orators  of  the  day. 
C.  C.  Gibson,  Henry  Gottig,  W.  W.  Vaught,  A.  LeBlanc,  and  Frederic 
W.  Collins  were  appointed  a Committee  of  Arrangements. 

It  was  thought  that  this  occasion  would  be  an  opportune  time  to 
heal  the  differences  existing  between  the  towns  of  Summit  and  Mag- 
nolia over  the  court  house  question,  and  Thomas  A.  Gamer,  Mayor 
of  Summit,  Was  directed  by  its  citizens  to  convey  to  the  people  of 
Magnolia,  through  Hon.  Fred  W.  Collins,  Mayor  of  that  town,  their 
sentiments  of  friendly  regards  on  the  occasion  of  laying  the  corner- 
stone, the  centennial  year  of  American  independence.  Following  is 
the  account  given  by  the  Magnolia  Herald  of  June  2,  1876: 

LAYING  THE  CORNER-STONE. 

On  Saturday  last,  May  27th,  1876,  as  previously  advertised  in  the  papers, 
the  people  of  Pike  County  assembled  at  Magnolia  to  participate  in  the  cere- 
monies of  laying  the  corner-stone  of  their  new  court  house,  now  in  process  of 
erection.  At  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  though  the  weather  threatened  to 
be  unfavorable,  the  people  came  pouring  in,  in  squads,  from  all  points  of  the 
compass,  thus  indicating  that  there  would  be  a large  gathering. 

At  about  half-past  nine  o’clock,  Capt.  Travis’  excursion  train  from  Brook- 
haven,.  conveying  a large  number  of  citizens  from  that  town,  Bogue  Chitto, 
Johnstons  Station,  Summit,  McComb  City  and  Quin  Station,  arrived,  and  were 
received  by  the  anxious  crowd  assembled  at  the  depot,  amid  enlivening  strains 
of  music  from  the  Jolly  Brothers’  comet  band,  of  Summit,  engaged  for  the  occa- 
sion. 

At  about  eleven  o’clock,  the  excursion  train  from  Osyka,  heavily  freighted 
with  the  beauty  and  chivalry  of  that  lovely  town,  moved  up,  while  hundreds 
of  handkerchiefs  waved  on  high  and  sweet  music  swelled  the  breeze  and  bade 
them  welcome. 


308 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


By  this  time  the  town  was  crowded  with  people  from  all  parts  of  the  county, 
as  well  as  a few  from  Lincoln  and  Amite  Counties,  and  Tangipahoa  Parish,  La. 

The  doors  of  the  Central  House  and  private  residences  were  thrown  open 
for  the  reception,  convenience  and  comfort  of  guests  and  friends,  and  the  entire 
place  was  alive  with  masses  moving  to  and  fro,  inspecting  the  town  and  the 
preparations  which  had  been  made  on  the  picnic  grounds  and  elsewhere  to  add 
to  the  beauty  of  the  surroundings  and  to  the  comfort  and  pleasure  of  the  people, 

At  about  half-past  eleven  o’clock,  Sincerity  Lodge  No.  214,  F.  & A.  M.,  and 
Tangipahoa  Lodge  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Magnolia,  emerged  from  their  places  of  meet- 
ing and  formed  in  procession  in  the  following  order: 

S.  A.  Matthews,  Grand  Marshal,  aided  by  Jonas  Hiller  and  C.  C.  Gibson. 

Henry  Swan,  Tyler  of  Sincerity  Lodge  No.  214,  F.  & A.  M.,  of  Magnolia, 
accompanied  by  Tylers  of  other  lodges. 

Stewards,  with  rods. 

Master  masons. 

F.  Prescott  and  M.  Day,  Deacons,  with  rods. 

A.  L.  Lazar,  Secretary,  and  E.  T.  Prewett,  Treasurer  pro  tem. 

R.  H.  Dickey,  Senior  Warden  pro  tem. 

Mark  Master  Royal  Arch  Masons. 

Royal  and  Select  Masters. 

Knights  Templar,  as  escort  to  Grand  Lodge. 

Jolly  Brothers’  comet  band. 

C.  H.  Lyster,  Grand  Tyler. 

John  Holmes  and  J.  H.  Monfourt,  Grand  Stewards,  with  white  rods. 

H.  Q.  Bridges,  Grand  Secretary,  and  N.  Greener,  Grand  Treasurer. 

Walter  Cowart,  Grand  Pursuivant. 

Bible,  square  and  compass,  carried  by  Joseph  Mixon,  supported  by  stewards. 

J.  W.  Sandell,  Grand  Chaplain,  and  E.  P.  Stratton,  Grand  Lecturer. 

W.  Fleet  Simmons,  with  five  orders  of  architecture.* 

Representatives  of  the  press. 

W.  M.  Conerly,  Junior  Warden,  with  silver  vessel  of  oil. 

H.  M.  Quin,  Senior  Grand  Warden,  with  silver  vessel  of  wine. 

A.  A.  Boyd,  Deputy  Grand  Master,  carrying  golden  vessel  with  com. 

J.  S.  Lamkin,  Master  of  oldest  lodge,  carrying  book  of  the  constitution. 

George  Nicholson,  Grand  Master,  supported  by  J.  M.  Thornhill  and  P.  C. 
Kennedy,  Deacons,  with  rods. 

C.  A.  Zackary,  Grand  Sword  Bearer. 


*These  five  orders  of  architecture  were  drawn  in  spatter  work  by  the  accom- 
plished and  talented  Miss  H.  May  Lamkin,  daughter  of  John  S.  Lamkin,  Esq., 
of  Magnolia,  and  were  presented  to  Sincerity  Lodge  No.  214.  They  were  taste- 
fully and  beautifully  executed,  evidencing  superior  artistic  skill,  and  are  highly 
appreciated  by  the  members  of  the  lodge. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


309 


Thus  arranged  they  moved  to  the  front  of  the  sheriff’s  office,  on  the  comer 
of  Railroad  Avenue  and  Myrtle  Street,  where  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  filed  in 
at  the  rear,  the  procession  moving  up  Myrtle  Street  to  Clarks  Avenue,  down 
Clarks  Avenue  to  Bay  Street  and  down  Bay  Street  to  the  court  house  square, 
filing  in  beneath  the  triumphal  arch  prepared  at  the  entrance  of  the  square. 
Upon  arriving  on  the  square,  the  Masonic  procession  opened  to  the  right  and 
left,  uncovering  the  grand  master  and  his  officers,  who  repaired  to  a temporary 
platform  ercted  upon  the  foundation  of  the  court  house  (in  front  of  which  was 
constructed  a beautiful  evergreen  arch  bearing  the  inscription,  “Centennial”), 
where  they  were  surrounded  by  the  rest  of  the  brethren.  Dr.  George  Nicholson 
then  read  a letter  from  the  Grand  Master  of  the  State,  authorizing  him  to  per- 
form the  ceremonies  of  laying  the  corner-stone,  which  stated  that  Sincerity 
Lodge  No.  214  had  the  matter  in  charge.  He  then  delivered  the  proclamation 
as  laid  down  in  the  Masonic  ritual.  Then  followed  a lesson  from  the  Scriptures, 
and  prayer  by  the  Grand  Chaplain,  after  which,  accompanied  by  a splendid 
organ,  the  choir  rose  and  sang  in  sweet  harmony,  to  the  tune  of  “Arlington 

When  Solomon,  with  wondrous  skill, 

A temple  did  prepare, 

Israel  with  zeal  his  courts  did  fill, 

And  God  was  honored  there. 

Celestial  rays  of  glorious  light, 

The  sacred  walls  contained; 

The  pure  refulgence  day  and  night 
With  awful  force  remained. 

O may  Thy  presence,  gracious  Lord, 

In  our  assembly  be; 

Enlighten  us  to  know  Thy  word, 

That  we  may  honor  Thee. 

And  when  the  final  trump  shall  sound, 

To  judge  the  world  of  sin, 

Within  Thy  courts  may  we  be  found, 

Eternally  til’d  in. 

A tin  casket  had  been  prepared,  in  which  was  deposited  the  following  arti- 
cles: 

Three  copies  Magnolia  Herald. 

One  copy  Summit  Sentinel. 

One  copy  Summit  Times. 

One  copy  Easy  Chair , published  at  Summit. 

One  copy  Young  America , published  at  Summit. 


310 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


A list  of  officers  and  roll  of  members  of  Sincerity  Lodge  No.  214,  F.  & A.  M., 
and  the  constitution  and  by-laws  of  the  order. 

One  nickel  coin  U.  S.  currency,  valued  at  five  cents. 

One  Prussian  silver  coin,  valued  at  twenty  cents. 

One  five-dollar  note,  Mississippi  cotton  money. 

One  ten-dollar  note,  Confederate  money. 

One  silver  coin  U.  S.  currency,  valued  at  five  cents. 

A list  of  officers  and  roll  of  members  of  Company  F,  Third  Regiment  U.  S. 
Infantry. 

A list  of  county  officers  of  Pike  County. 

Copy  of  programme  of  the  day’s  exercises. 

The  box  was  then  deposited  in  a vault  prepared  for  it,  and  the  corner-stone 
was  lowered  and  laid  in  accordance  with  the  usage  and  solemnity  of  the  Masonic 
order,  covering  the  box  containing  the  above  mentioned  articles,  which  was 
cemented  in  its  vault,  and  concealing  them  from  the  sight  of  man  for  ages, 
perhaps,  to  come  ere  they  shall  be  admitted  to  the  light  of  day. 

Inscription  on  the  stone: 

North  side — Laid  May  27,  1876. 

Centennial  Year. 

East  side — C.  C.  Gibson, 

Architect  & Builder. 

The  choir  then  sang  to  the  tune  of  Old  Hundred,  the  following  stanzas: 

Master  Supreme!  to  Thee  this  day, 

Our  corner-stone  with  praise  we  lay; 

And  resting  on  Thy  word  fulfilled, 

To  Thee,  O Lord!  our  house  we  build. 

Nor  build  we  here  with  strength  alone 
Of  carven  wood  or  sculptured  stone; 

But  squarely  hewed,  and  broadly  plann’d, 

Our  lines  we  raise,  like  ashlars  grand. 

By  Thee,  O Lord!  our  work  design’d, 

The  widow’s  son  his  help  shall  find; 

And  we  shall  frame,  for  trembling  youth, 

The  winding  stairs  that  lead  to  Truth. 

In  Faith  we  toil — in  Hope  we  climb 
To  Charity — our  Arch  sublime; 

And  evermore  the  Keystone  see, 

O Master!  Lord!  in  Thee — in  Thee! 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


311 


The  benediction  pronounced,  Hon.  T.  A.  Gamer,  mayor  of  Summit,  was 
introduced,  who  read  a letter  (previously  prepared  for  the  occasion),  to  Hon. 
F.  W.  Collins,  mayor  of  Magnolia,  presenting  him  (on  the  part  of  the  good  people 
of  Summit)  with  a bronzed  hatchet,  to  be  buried  in  token  of  a cessation  of 
sectional  animosity  hitherto  existing  and  brought  about  by  the  removal  of  the 
court  house  from  Holmesville  to  Magnolia,  and  as  an  evidence  of  a restoration 
of  harmonious  feelings  and  unity  of  purpose. 

The  following  is  Mayor  Gamer’s  letter: 


Summit,  May  27th,  1876. 

To  Hon.  F.  W.  Collins, 

Mayor  of  Magnolia,  Mississippi. 

Sir: 

I am  directed  by  the  people  of  Summit  to  convey,  through  you,  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Magnolia,  their  sentiments  of  friendly  regard  on  the  occasion  of  laying  the 
corner-stone  of  the  new  court  house. 

The  question  of  “removal  or  no  removal,”  which  once  so  seriously  agitated 
the  public  mind,  and  which  unfortunately  created  sectional  jealousies,  not 
unmixed  with  sectional  animosities,  has  been  happily  set  at  rest,  and  the  people 
of  Summit,  in  token  of  their  magnanimity,  desire  to  manifest  their  entire  acqui- 
escence in  the  logic  of  events,  as  well  as  their  complete  reconciliation  over  the 
late  “bone  of  contention.”  With  this  view  they  have  delegated  me  in  their 
behalf  to  unite  with  you  in  conducting  the  present  public  demonstration,  and 
to  deposit  in  the  cavity  of  the  stone  some  suitable  token  of  their  harmonious 
feelings.  To  give  expression  of  their  wishes,  I have  selected  the  accompanying 
implement,  which,  in  the  earlier  history  of  our  common  country,  was  not  unfre- 
quently  used  as  a symbol  of  buried  animosity,  and  which  besides  has  been  made 
historic  by  the  father  of  our  country. 

It  is  fitting  that  in  the  centennial  year  of  our  existence  as  a republic  the 
burying  of  the  hatchet,  which  has  more  than  once  performed  the  conspicuous  of- 
fice of  securing  profound  and  permanent  peace  for  the  nation,  should  now  serve 
to  allay  sectional  feeling,  and  mark  the  era  of  perfect  peace  and  complete  recon- 
ciliation in  our  county  affairs. 

In  humble  imitation  of  this  rude  custom  of  our  forefathers,  I have  the  honor 
to  place  at  your  disposal  this  bronzed  implement,  to  be  used,  if  you  please,  in 
the  manner,  and  for  the  purpose  above  indicated,  with  the  additional  assurance 
that  it  is  our  common  desire  that  the  people  of  this  county  shall  henceforth, 
like  brethren,  dwell  together  in  unity.  I have  the  honor  to  be 

Very  truly, 

T.  A.  Garner, 

Mayor  of  Summit. 


Mr.  Collins,  on  the  part  of  the  citizens  of  Magnolia,  accepted  the  hatchet 
from  Mr.  Gamer,  with  the  following  well  timed  impromptu  reemarks: 


312 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Ladies  and  Gentlemen:  The  document  just  read,  by  Hon.  T.  A.  Garner, 

Mayor  of  Summit,  fully  explains  itself.  For  and  in  behalf  of  the  people  of 
Summit,  he  presents  to  me,  as  the  representative  of  the  people  of  Magnolia, 
this  ancient  symbol,  this  hatchet,  desiring  that  we  bury  with  it,  after  the  ancient 
custom,  all  the  jealousies  and  animosities  generated  by  the  vexed  court  house 
question.  I am  not  prepared  to  make  any  extended  remarks  upon  this  impor- 
tant occasion,  but  suffice  it  to  say  that  I,  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Magnolia, 
accept  it  in  good  faith — I accept  it  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  presented. 

We  will  now  deposit  it  in  the  cavity  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  court  house, 
where  we  hope,  and  have  every  reason  to  believe,  it  will  ever  rest  undisturbed. 

Capt.  John  S.  Lamkin,  Hon.  S.  E.  Packwood  and  Hon.  I.  Applewhite  were 
each  respectively  introduced  and  delivered  addresses  appropriate  to  the  occa- 
sion. 

It  was  announced  that  dinner  would  be  served  on  the  island  picnic  grounds. 
The  procession  of  Masons  and  Odd  Fellows  returned  to  their  respective  lodges, 
disbanded,  and  at  two  o’clock,  as  stated  in  the  programme,  the  people  repaired 
for  refreshments. 

At  the  foot  of  Magnolia  Street,  over  the  west  end  of  the  bridge  leading  to 
the  island,  inscribed  on  an  evergreen  arch  were  observed  the  following  words: 

“As  citizens  of  Pike  County,  we  give  you  a kindly  greeting.” 

Near  the  end  of  the  bridge  leading  from  the  island  to  the  Central  House, 
was  another,  containing  the  inscription: 

“Our  wish  is  that  together  we  may  work  for  the  good  of  our  county.” 

The  people  had  contributed  generously,  and  seven  long  tables  were  laden 
with  provisions  prepared  principally  by  the  hands  of  the  fair  ones,  sufficient 
for  at  least  two  thousand  people.  A large  quantity  of  fresh  meat — beef,  mut- 
ton, kid  and  pork — was  barbecued,  supervised  by  our  esteemed  fellow  citizen, 
William  Stevenson,  assisted  by  his  son. 

We  heard  it  frequently  remarked  by  old  “barbecued  meat  eaters”  that  this 
was  the  best  they  ever  saw  or  tasted.  Everthing  was  arranged  systematically — ■ 
the  ladies  being  invited  to  the  table  first  and  the  men  afterward.  It  was  cal- 
culated that,  allowing  two  feet  for  each  person,  these  seven  tables  would  accom- 
modate more  than  six  hundred  persons. 

The  carving  table,  supervised  by  W.  G.  Tyler,  John  F.  Lieb,  B.  F.  Win- 
born,  Mr.  Lloyd,  a worthy  guest  from  New  Orleans,  J.  H.  Stevens,  and  others, 
was  elegantly  managed. 

Among  the  many  large  baskets  noticeable,  was  one  sent  by  Mr.  George  Fol- 
som, which  came  as  near  being  a cart-load  of  good  things  as  any  we  ever  saw. 

W.  W.  Vaught,  table  manager,  A.  LeBlanc  and  H.  Gottig  were  particularly 
active  in  their  respective  duties;  while  many  others  are  equally  deserving  of 
mention,  but  not  having  been  furnished  with  their  names,  we  can  not  give  them 
from  memory. 

Mrs.  Roane,  and  the  ladies  who  assisted  her  in  the  decorations,  deserve 
especial  mention  for  the  part  they  performed;  and  to  the  ladies  generally,  who 
so  generously  contributed  in  labor  and  provisions  to  the  occasion,  the  thanks 
of  the  people  are  due. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


01  o 
DIO 


Particular  mention  is  also  due  the  ladies’  table  committee  for  the  part  they 
performed  in  so  tastefully  arranging  the  tables. 

According  to  the  published  schedule,  Capt.  J.  Q.  Travis  returned  to  their 
homes  the  good  citizens  of  Osyka,  Carters  Hill,  Chatawa,  and  those  living  at 
the  various  stations  between  Magnolia  and  Brookhaven,  by  his  excursion  train. 

At  seven  o’clock  the  doors  of  the  Central  House  hall  were  opened  for  the 
ball,  and  when  the  twilight  shades  had  passed  away,  the  brilliant  chandeliers 
spread  their  light  over  the  most  magnificent  array  of  beauty  and  chivalry, 
attired  in  gorgeous  suits,  upon  which  our  eyes  ever  feasted,  and  amid  dulcet 
strains  of  music  from  that  splendid  “Jolly  Brothers’  Comet  Band,”  terpischo- 
rean  lovers,  with  joyous  hearts,  “whiled  the  happy  hours  away.”  The  ball  was 
arranged  and  conducted  under  the  auspices  of  W.  M.  Conerly,  and  was  man- 
aged with  judgment,  skill  and  perfect  order. 

At  midnight  the  ball  ceased,  and  our  friends  from  McComb  City,  Quins  Sta- 
tion and  Summit  were  conveyed  home  by  special  train. 

The  press,  on  this  occasion,  was  represented  by  the  handsome,  good-natured 
and  talented  editor  of  the  Brookhaven  Ledger,  Mr.  R.  H.  Henry;  Capt.  J.  D. 
Burke,  formerly  of  the  Brookhaven  Citizen ; Hon.  H.  Q.  Bridges,  H.  S.  Bonney, 
and  N.  P.  Bonney,  of  the  Summit  Sentinel',  Col.  W.  Lee  Patton,  and  his  corps, 
of  the  Summit  Times ; and  the  members  of  The  Herald  office. 

We  were  pleased  to  observe  present  Sam  Henderson,  Esq.,  of  New  Orleans, 
and  several  friends  from  Tangipahoa  Parish,  La.;  Hon.  J.  B.  Deason,  from 
Brookhaven;  and  several  handsome  and  accomplished  young  ladies  from  Amite 
County,  among  them  Misses  Safford,  and  Miss  Raiford,  daughter  of  our  old 
friend,  William  Raiford,  of  Liberty. 

We  were  also  proud  to  see  so  many  of  the  good  people  of  'McComb  City 
present.  The  ties  of  friendship  between  them  and  the  citizens  of  Magnolia 
are  growing  stronger  and  stronger  as  time  and  again  they  are  thrown  together 
in  social  gatherings. 

To  the  people  of  Osyka,  Johnstons  Station,  Summit  and  all  intermediate 
stations,  Holmesville  and  throughout  the  entire  county,  the  compliments  and 
hearty  good  wishes  of  Magnolia  are  extended.  May  they  in  the  future  be  bound 
together  in  stronger  ties  of  friendship,  and  work  with  more  united  hearts  for 
the  good  of  the  county  and  for  the  elevation  and  prosperity  of  the  people. 

For  order,  harmony  of  action,  good  feeling,  plenty  to  eat  and  general  sat- 
isfaction among  the  people,  the  occasion  of  the  27th  of  May,  1876,  can  safely 
be  said  to  have  had  no  equal  since  ante  bellum  days,  and  it  is  a forcible  evidence 
of  what  can  be  accomplished  and  the  satisfaction  that  can  be  enjoyed  when  there 
is  a common  object  in  view  and  a common  purpose  among  the  people.  May 
they  ever  work  together. 

At  a meeting  of  the  committee  of  general  arrangements,  held  in  this  town 
on  Wednesday,  31st  ult.,  concerning  the  proceedings  had  on  the  27th  ult.,  the 
following  resolution  was  adopted : 

Resolved,  That  the  undersigned  committee  of  general  arrangements  for  the 
picnic  and  barbecue  given  in  this  place  on  the  27th  ult.,  tender  sincere  thanks  to 


314 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


the  various  auxiliary  committees  for  their  kindly  and  prompt  assistance  in  car- 
rying out  the  various  details  of  the  day’s  programme.  We  especially  return 
thanks  to  the  venerable  William  Stevenson,  and  to  his  son  Thomas,  for  their 
vigilant  and  untiring  services  and  complete  success  in  barbecuing  the  meats, 
and  to  the  ladies  who  so  kindly  and  beautifully  decorated  the  grounds.  We 
know  no  words  commensurate  with  our  appreciation  of  their  noble  services. 


C.  C.  Gibson,  ' 
H.  Gottig, 

F.  W.  Collins, 
A.  LeBlanc, 

W.  W.  Vaught,  , 


Committee. 


The  occasion  thus  described  in  the  foregoing  article  of  the  Herald 
was  a great  love  feast  in  which  the  bitterness  engendered  over  the 
court  house  question  was  softened  and  sweetened  by  forgetfulness 
of  the  past.  Mayor  Gamer  and  Mayor  Collins  shook  hands  over  the 
"blood  chasm”  and  cemented  the  bonds  of  friendship  by  the  burial 
of  a genuine  hatchet,  deposited  in  the  vault  of  the  corner-stone  of  the 
new  court  house.  A good  old  time  lady  of  direct  pioneer  descent, 
wearing  an  ancient  pair  of  spectacles,  held  on  by  a cord  around  her 
head,  remarked  to  the  writer: 

"I  am  so  glad  the  people  of  Magnoly  and  Summit  is  made  up.  I 
do  hate  these  bickerins.  I always  heard  it  said  that  a man’s  love, 
and  a woman’s,  too,  for  all-er  that,  was  down  his  throat,  and  now  I 
knows  it.  I bleve  this  dinner  has  had  a powerful  influence  in  settling 
the  fuss.” 

In  the  early  days  of  reconstruction  the  negroes  were  in  a transitory 
condition,  so  to  speak,  and  wholly  unfit  to  perform  any  of  the  func- 
tions of  government. 

A more  stupid  effort  to  force  them  to  the  equality  of  the  white  man 
was  never  made  by  any  civilized  or  enlightened  government  on  earth. 
It  Would  be  bad  enough  now,  with  all  the  care  and  all  the  advantages 
of  enlightened  Christian  education,  to  put  them  in  possession  of 
government  with  white  people.  To  do  so  at  the  end  of  the  Civil  War, 
just  liberated  from  slavery,  was  a crime  of  so  great  proportions  as  to 
stamp  it  the  Stupidity  of  the  Nineteenth  Century. 

The  negro  was  a child  of  the  jungles  in  his  native  land,  far  below 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


315 


the  Indian  in  America,  and  never  knew  the  value  of  anything.  His 
ancestry  for  thousands  of  years  was  no  wiser  than  those  brought  to 
Jamestown  on  a Dutch  vessel  in  1620  and  sold  into  slavery  for  the 
ponderous  sum  of  150  pounds  of  leaf  tobacco. 

A race  so  deficient  in  intellect  as  the  native  African  in  the  jungles 
where  life  exists  only  as  that  of  the  wild  beasts,  that  have  not  ad- 
vanced higher  in  thousands  of  years,  are  not  expected,  by  people  ac- 
quainted with  negro  characteristics,  to  become  fit  for  rulers  in  a few 
centuries,  even  with  the  advantages  of  educational  training  under 
the  higher  civilizing  influences  and  care  of  the  Caucasian.  In  the 
nature  of  the  creature  there  is  no  redeeming  quality  to  fit  him  for  self- 
government  or  the  position  of  ruler  over  the  white  race.  He  is  a child 
of  the  hour  and  concerned  only  about  his  stomach  and  comfort. 
His  progress,  little  as  it  is,  in  the  United  States,  has  been  forced  upon 
him  by  the  white  man.  His  civilization  here  is  due  entirely  to  the 
discipline  and  training,  for  three  hundred  years,  to  the  institution  of 
slavery  improving  him  gradually  each  generation  in  the  manner  the 
superior  intellect  has  evolved  the  intelligence  of  animals  of  the  brute 
creation.  He  cares  no  more  for  the  general  Welfare  nor  the  upbuild- 
ing of  a community  now  than  he  did  thousands  of  years  ago  in  his 
native  jungles.  As  a race  he  cares  nothing  for  law  and  order  nor  the 
attainment  of  the  higher  attributes  of  civilized  man.  A creature  of 
the  hour  and  present  surroundings. 

The  very  idea  of  a people  like  those  of  the  Northern  States,  with 
their  claims  of  superior  education  and  general  attainments,  marshal- 
ing an  immense  army,  spending  billions  of  treasury  and  sacrificing 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  lives,  murdering  Women  and  children  of 
their  own  race,  devastating  a vast  territory  occupied  by  enlightened 
citizens,  to  put  a race  of  savages  over  their  white  brothers  and  drive 
them  to  destruction,  is  a crime  so  vast  and  so  unforgiving  that  it 
must  be  classed  as  the  demon  age  of  American  history. 

In  the  past  as  Well  as  the  present  the  negro  as  a race  has  shown 
only  the  characteristics  of  the  creature  that  sleeps  with  utter  uncon- 
cern in  the  jungles  where  the  God  of  Nature  planted  him. 

If  the  reader  of  this  book  will  do  as  this  writer  has  done  in  order 


316 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


to  fit  himself  for  a proper  conception  and  truthful  exposition  of  negro 
character,  he  will  easily  understand.  No  one  possessed  with  an  im- 
partial desire  for  truth  can  go  into  the  negro  quarters  of  large  cities 
or  small  towns  and  investigate  their  condition,  habits  and  character- 
istics without  a feeling  of  disappointment  and  disgust  after  forty 
years  of  freedom  and  special  care  given  them  under  the  efforts  of 
Northern  missionaries  and  under  the  educational  advantages  forced 
upon  them  by  the  white  people  of  the  South.  And  this  is  the  creature, 
who,  without  having  had  these  special  intellectual  advantages  thrust 
upon  them,  just  emerged  from  slavery,  that  the  power  of  the  military 
under  Northern  domination,  holding  the  reins  of  government  of  the 
United  States,  put  over  our  people  to  crush  them  and  destroy  their 
racial  character,  supervised  by  a horde  of  Northern  adventurers, 
worshiping  at  the  shrine  of  negro  superstition,  ignorance  and  idolatry. 
As  a slave  the  negro  could  be  controlled  for  good  purposes;  as  a ruler 
he  was  the  curse  of  the  hour.  In  this  the  negro  was  not  so  much  the 
criminal.  It  was  his  foster  white  brother,  the  Northern  carpetbagger, 
political  adventurer,  so-called  philanthropist,  and  fortune  seekers. 
These  observations  and  those  in  a previous  chapter  are  given  to  show 
to  the  reader  why  the  white  people  of  the  South  took  the  steps  they 
did  to  re-establish  their  supremacy  and  hold  it  at  all  hazards. 

The  Southern  people  are  persistently  charged,  by  a certain  class  of 
Northern  writers  and  historians,  as  being  responsible  for,  and  the  foun- 
ders of,  the  institution  of  slavery  in  the  United  States;  when  it  is  a fact 
beyond  contradiction  that  one  of  the  very  first  acts  of  the  founder 
of  the  first  colony  in  Georgia  Was  to  prohibit  the  introduction  of  sla- 
very; and  later  on  the  question  began  to  look  so  serious  that  South 
Carolina  and  other  States  had  to  pass  stringent  laws  to  prohibit  fur- 
ther importation  of  slaves.  The  very  first  act  creating  the  territorial 
government  of  Mississippi  prohibited  the  importation  of  slaves,  from 
any  foreign  port,  and  as  late  as  the  secession  of  Alabama  that  State 
made  the  initiatory  move  for  the  abolicion  of  slavery,  which  was  re- 
ferred to  the  Confederate  government,  but,  the  war  coming  on,  it 
was  not  considered  practicable  to  do  so,  as  organized  labor  and  their 
services  were  needed  in  the  production  of  crops  to  sustain  the  armies; 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


317 


and,  besides,  the  Southern  people  held  to  the  belief  of  gradual  eman- 
cipation in  twenty  years,  and  compensation  to  their  owners,  while 
Northern  abolitionists  held  to  immediate  manumission  without 
compensation. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Ex-Governor  Adelbert  Ames,  before  the  Congressional  Committee 
of  investigation  on  Mississippi  affairs,  testified  to  a general  system  of 
intimidation,  frauds  and  violence  on  the  part  of  the  white  people,  by 
which  voters  in  Republican  counties  were  prevented  from  voting. 
He  found  it  impossible,  without  a bloody  collision  between  the  masses 
(he  should  have  said  between  the  races),  as  he  was  not  supported  by 
the  troops,  to  secure  the  negroes  in  their  rights  in  the  recent  election. 
He  testified  that  there  were  riots,  shootings  and  threats,  and 
that  the  pretext  set  up  by  the  white  citizens  of  Mississippi 
of  robbing  the  State  by  excessive  taxation  Was  wholly  ungrounded — ■ 
that  taxation  in  Mississippi  was  only  seventy  cents  per  head,  against 
sixteen  dollars  in  New  York.  He  failed  to  draw  the  comparison  be- 
tween the  people  of  New  York,  possessed  of  billions  of  wealth,  and 
those  of  Mississippi,  whose  fortunes  had  been  swept  away  by  the  con- 
flagrations and  vandalism  of  an  invading  army  in  which  he  aided, 
succeeded  in  its  system  of  plunder  by  the  military  government  set 
over  them  of  which  he  assumed  executive  authority.  In  order  to 
contradict  the  testimony  of  Governor  Ames,  given  after  he  had  been 
deposed,  a few  statistics  will  be  valuable  for  the  enlightenment  of 
those  in  search  of  truth. 

The  constitution  of  Mississippi  did  not  authorize  the  executive  to 
involve  the  State  in  debt,  but  at  the  expiration  of  his  authority  the 
debt  of  Mississippi  is  shown  to  be  $2,631,804.24. 


Land  assessed  to  owners $83,  774,  279 

Land  held  for  taxes 12,099,218 

Assessed  valuation  of  personal  property 35,  639,  555 


Grand  total 


S131, S!3> °52 


318 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


THE  RATE  OF  TAXATION, 


In  1865 $ i .00  on  $1,  000 — white  rule 

In  1866 1 .00  on  1,000 — white  rule 

In  1867 1 .00  on  1,000 — white  rule 

In  1868 1 .00  on  1,000 — white  rule 

In  1869 1 .00  on  1,000 — white  rule 

In  1870 5.00  on  1,000 — negro  rule 

In  1871 4.00  on  1,000 — negro  rule 

In  1872 8.50  on  1,000 — negro  rule 

In  1873 12. 50  on  1,000 — negro  rule 

In  1874 14.00  on  1,000 — negro  rule 

In  1875 9.25  on  1,000 — negro  rule 


In  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that  the  rate  of  taxation  under  the 
government  of  Ames,  in  1874,  Was  fourteen  times  greater  than  under 
white  rule,  and  under  military  domination,  the  five  years  previous  to 
negro  rule  supported  by  the  military,  and  in  1875,  the  last  year  of  his 
term,  it  was  nine  and  one-fourth  times  greater;  and  in  the  face  of 
these  figures  he  goes  before  a Congressional  committee  and  testifies 
that  the  charge  made  by  the  only  taxpayers  (the  white  citizens)  of 
Mississippi,  of  robbing  the  State  by  excessive  taxation,  was  wholly 
ungrounded. 

It  was  a source  of  pleasure  to  the  white  people  of  Mississippi, 
after  so  many  years  of  excitement  and  peril,  to  have  at  the  head  of  the 
executive  department  such  a man  as  John  M.  Stone.  Governor 
Stone  was  bom  in  Tennessee  and  entered  the  Confederate  sendee  as 
Captain  of  the  Iuka  Guards.  He  distinguished  himself  by  his  gal- 
lantry at  the  first  battle  of  Manassas,  in  July,  1861,  and  became  com- 
mander of  the  Second  Mississippi  Regiment.  His  career  as  a Confed- 
erate soldier  and  his  personal  courage  was  such  that  with  him  as 
Governor,  and  freed  from  Federal  interference,  the  people  of  Missis- 
sippi felt  confidence  in  maintaining  white  supremacy;  but  there  must 
be  no  relaxation  of  vigilance  and  organization,  not  only  to  make 
secure  the  possession  of  the  State  government,  but  to  Work  for  the 
success  of  the  national  Democratic  ticket  in  the  coming  fall  of  1876. 

On  May  5th,  John  S.  Lamkin,  Chairman  of  the  Democratic  Execu- 
tive Committee  of  Pike  County,  issued  a call  to  the  Democrats  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


319 


county  to  meet  in  general  convention  on  the  3rd  of  June  to  take  into 
consideration  matters  recommended  by  the  State  Executive  Commit- 
tee. 

At  this  convention  the  executive  committee  was  reorganized  by 
the  election  of  W.  F.  Simmons,  F.  M.  Lea,  E.  C.  Andrews,  A.  A.  Boyd, 
Ephraim  Prescott,  and  Capt.  John  S.  Lamkin,  again  chosen  as  Presi- 
dent, and  Hugh  Q.  Bridges,  Secretary. 

The  following  delegates  were  chosen  to  the  State  convention  to 
assemble  in  Jackson  on  the  14th  of  June:  Dr.  George  Nicholson, 

W.  Fleet  Simmons,  Benjamin  Lampton,  Ralph  Regan,  W.  C.  Barnes, 
R.  H.  Felder,  W.  Lee  Patton,  James  Greener,  W.  W.  Vaught,  and  Joe 
Mixon. 

To  Congressional  convention:  Dr.  George  Nicholson,  W.  Fleet 

Simmons,  J.  H.  Crawford,  Thomas  J.  Hall,  R.  J.  Boone,  Parham 
Thompson,  D.  W.  Hurst,  H.  Q.  Bridges,  S.  E.  Packwood,  and  W.  D. 
Davidson. 

A resolution  was  passed  urging  the  various  political  clubs  to  keep 
up  a thorough  organization. 

The  club  at  Osyka  was  organized  with  Joseph  Mixon  as  President 
and  Joe  Mallett  Secretary. 

The  club  at  TyletoWn  was  organized  with  Benjamin  Lampton, 
President;  Jesse  Iv.  Brumfield,  First  Vice-President;  George  Smith, 
Second  Vice-President;  F.  M.  Lea,  Treasurer,  and  J.  H.  Crawford, 
Secretary. 

The  club  at  Magnolia  was  organized  with  Gen.  E.  McNair,  President, 
and  William  C.  Vaught,  Secretary. 

On  June  4th,  1876,  the  Hancock  Democratic  Club  of  Osyka  was 
organized,  with  W.  D.  Davidson,  President,  and  Meyer  Wolf,  Secretary, 
and  a membership  of  sixty-seven,  with  ten  negro  members,  being 
the  first  negroes  to  join  a Democratic  club  in  Pike  County.  The  fol- 
lowing are  their  names:  Rev.  William  Greenfield,  Rev.  G.  Robertson, 

Henry  Woods,  Henry  Roberts,  T.  B.  Commons,  Jacob  Halfin,  Henry 
Tate,  Robert  Brumfield,  William  Brumfield,  Bird  Braxton. 

Two  large  clubs  were  formed  in  the  Silver  Creek  district,  whose 
patriotic  citizens  Were  ever  in  the  line  of  duty.  The  Tilden  Demo- 


320 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


cratic  Club  was  formed  with  the  election  of  C.  W.  Simmons,  President; 
S.  M.  Simmons,  Vice-President;  and  R.  L.  Simmons,  Secretary.  Two 
negroes,  Scott  Barnes  and  Thomas  Robertson,  joined  the  club.  H.  W. 
Sandifer  was  elected  Corresponding  Secretary. 

The  Tilden,  Hendricks  and  Hooker  Club  was  organized  at  Carters 
Creek  on  the  25th  of  July,  1876,  with  Joel  J.  Bullock,  President,  and 
John  May,  Secretary. 

The  Tilden  Colored  Democratic  Club  was  organized  in  Magnolia 
August  1,  1876,  with  Samuel  Madden,  President;  Thomas  Jefferson, 
Vice-President;  James  Scott,  Treasurer;  Martin  Russell,  Secretary; 
and  Joe  Singletary,  Captain  of  the  Club,  and  twenty-seven  colored 
members.  The  men  composing  this  club  were  the  most  influential 
of  their  race  in  the  precinct,  and  went  to  work  to  organize  this  club 
of  their  own  accord  and  without  any  influence  used  on  them  by  the 
white  people.  They  had  lived  ten  years  under  the  rule  of  the  mili- 
tary and  carpetbagism,  which  created  only  a feeling  of  unrest  and 
a clashing  of  interests  with  the  white  people,  and  they  were  willing 
to  make  the  change  in  harmony  with  those  upon  whom  they  must 
depend  for  peace  and  protection  to  themselves  and  their  families. 
The  Freedmans  Savings  Bank,  the  offspring  of  the  system  of  carpet- 
bag robbery  of  the  negro  race  in  the  South,  and  the  total  failure  of  a 
delivery  of  the  gift  of  forty  acres  and  a mule,  had  impressed  them- 
selves on  their  minds  and  caused  an  awakening  which  placed  them  in 
line  with  their  old  masters  to  free  the  State  from  misrule. 

Simmons  Precinct  Democratic  Club  was  organized  July  29,  1876, 
with  the  election  of  Benjamin  Franklin  Ellzey  as  President,  and  A.  S. 
Smith,  Secretary.  Resolution  inviting  colored  members  adopted. 

On  the  12th  of  August,  the  Holmesville  Democratic  Club  was  or- 
ganized at  Holmesville,  with  John  G.  Leggett,  President,  and  Hugh 
Murray  Quin,  Secretary.  A resolution  inviting  colored  members  was 
adopted.  David  C.  Walker,  Robert  S.  Bridges  and  H.  M.  Quin  were 
elected  delegates  to  the  Central  Club  organization  in  Magnolia,  third 
Monday  in  August. 

At  the  National  Democratic  Convention  held  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
on  the  27th  of  June,  1876,  Samuel  J.  Tilden,  of  New  York,  was  nomi- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


321 


nated  for  President  and  Thomas  A.  Hendricks  for  Vice-President  of 
the  United  States. 

Rutherford  B.  Hayes,  of  Ohio,  was  nominated  for  President  and 
William  A.  Wheeler  for  Vice-President  by  the  Republican  Convention. 

In  the  organization  of  the  Democratic  party  of  Mississippi  in  1876, 
for  the  final  overthrow  of  carpetbagism  and  military  interference 
in  State  affairs,  the  people  had  much  to  convince  them  that  their  late 
defeated  opponents  were  using  every  effort  possible  ro  reestablish 
themselves  and  negro  rule  in  power.  John  R.  Lynch,  negro,  in  the 
national  House  of  Representatives,  from  Mississippi,  said: 

“I  desire  to  make  what  may  be  a final  appeal.  I use  the  word  ‘final’  be- 
cause, as  little  as  you  may  think  of  it,  the  condition  of  the  colored  people  of  the 
South  to-day,  if  not  of  the  whole  country,  is  a seriously  critical  one.  We  are 
standing,  as  it  were,  upon  the  brink  of  our  political  and,  I may  add,  personal 
destruction.  When  we  look  to  the  right  we  find  the  angry  billows  of  an  en- 
raged democracy  seeking  to  overwhelm  us.  When  we  look  to  the  left,  we  find 
that  we  are  crushed  to  the  earth,  as  it  were,  with  an  unjust  and  an  un-Christian 
prejudice.  When  we  turn  to  the  rear,  we  find  the  assassin  in  certain  portions 
of  the  country  ready  to  plunge  the  dagger  into  our  hearts  for  a public  expression 
of  our  honest  conviction.  We  turn  our  faces  to  you  as  our  friends,  our  advo- 
cates, our  defenders  and  our  protectors. 

“The  Democratic  party  has  an  armed  military  organization  in  several  of 
the  Southern  States  called  the  White  League.  This  organization  has  been 
brought  into  existence  for  the  sole  and  exclusive  purpose  of  accomplishing 
with  the  bullet  that  which  can  not  be  accomplished  with  the  ballot;  for  con- 
trolling public  opinion  and  carrying  popular  elections  by  violence  and  force  of 
arms;  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  freedom  of  speech,  the  freedom  of 
opinion,  the  freedom  of  the  press  and  the  protection  of  the  ballot.  Its  mission 
is  to  accomplish  practically  within  the  union  that  which  could  not  be  accom- 
plished through  the  madness  of  secession.” 

This  sable  representative  in  the  United  States  Congress,  sent  there 
by  his  carpetbag  and  negro  supporters  of  Mississippi,  forgot  to  say 
that  the  white  people  of  the  State  had  been  for  ten  years  held  under 
the  yoke  of  a military  despotism,  and  made  to  pay  all  the  taxes,  and 
assume  the  burden  of  debts  thrust  upon  them  without  their  consent. 
This  speech  was  simply  one  of  the  old  appeals  for  United  States  troops. 

The  Deputy  United  States  Revenue  Collector,  D.  M.  Redmond,  had 

succeeded  in  getting  a troop  of  cavalry  stationed  at  McComb  City,  and 
21 


322 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


to  put  a finishing  touch  to  the  speech  of  John  R.  Lynch,  a white  preach- 
er of  the  gospel  who  had  made  his  home  in  McComb  City,  and  shared 
the  kindness  and  hospitality  of  its  people,  Rev.  H.  M.  Church,  pre- 
siding elder  of  the  African  Episcopal  Church,  came  out  in  a slanderous 
letter  published  in  the  New  York  Witness,  on  the  election  of  1875, 
against  the  white  people  of  Amite  and  Pike  Counties,  so  full  of  vehe- 
ment slander  and  falsehood  as  to  excite  the  contempt  of  all  Northern 
people  who  had  settled  in  McComb,  and  who,  from  a sense  of  justice 
to  themselves  and  those  with  whom  they  had  cast  their  destinies, 
felt  compelled  to  publish  a statement  contradicting  this  intermeddlers’ 
statements. 

The  Magnolia  Herald  copied  Church’s  letter  at  the  time  and  char- 
acterized him  as  a man  of  mischief,  sleeping  and  eating  with  negroes, 
and  inciting  them  against  the  white  people 

Bishop  Haven,  of  the  Northern  Methodist  Church,  published  a 
letter  in  which  he  stated  that  at  a conference  of  the  A.  M.  E.  Church, 
he  was  told  how  a certain  Louisiana  representative  was  brutally  mur- 
dered by  the  white  people.  The  representative  referred  to  was  John 
Gair,  a notorious  thief  and  murderer,  who  caused  the  poisoning  of 
Dr.  Sanders  of  Clinton,  La.,  and  H.  M.  Church  was  Bishop  Haven’s 
informer. 

The  McComb  City  Intelligencer,  published  by  a Northern  gentle- 
man,* commenting  on  the  scathing  editorial  of  the  Magnolia  Herald  on 
Church’s  slanderous  letter  and  that  of  Bishop  Haven,  said: 

“This  is  true.  Our  community  here  is  composed  of  Northern  men  and 
Southern  men  and  people  of  both  political  parties  and  the  various  Protestant 
and  Catholic  denominations,  and  we  believe  the  feeling  is  universal  that  Church, 
when  he  resided  with  us,  was  a strife-making  nuisance.  His  letter  to  the  New 
York  Witness,  defaming  the  very  people  who,  in  another  portion  of  it,  he  admits 
have  treated  him  with  hospitality  and  kindness,  is  characteristic  of  the  man.” 

Fred  Barrett,  who  had  figured  in  Amite  County,  sent  out  the  fol- 
lowing in  an  open  letter  in  the  Southern  Republican,  published  by  him 
at  Jackson: 


*W.  H.  Townsend. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


323 


“By  becoming  fiends  infuriate,  devils  incarnate,  as  our  enemies  did  last 
year,  we  could  spread  consternation  and  dismay,  ruin  and  death,  in  our  course; 
we  could  soon  teach  the  enemy  the  full  force  of  his  favorite  resort,  violence.” 

GRANT  MUST  CALL  OFF  HIS  DOGS. 

The  New  York  Herald,  in  the  following  language,  insisted  that 
President  Grant  must  be  made  to  “take  his  heavy  hand  off  the  South.” 

“In  this  canvass  one  demand  should  be  made  by  all  who  love  their  country, 
irrespective  of  party  sentiment — let  Grant  take  his  heavy  hand  off  the  South. 
Of  our  soldiers  we  may  say  to  him,  as  Richard  III.  said  to  Stanley,  ‘What  do 
they  in  the  South  when  they  should  serve  their  country  in  the  West?’  Why 
should  Mississippi  be  strongly  garrisoned  while  troops  are  wanted  to  fight  Sit- 
ting Bull  in  Dakota  and  all  that  region  which  is  now  threatened  with  a cruel 
and  possibly  disastrous  war?  Senator  Bayard,  in  a recent  debate,  showed  how 
Mississippi  has  suffered  under  one  of  the  worst  governments  ever  known,  and 
how  much  moderation  and  wisdom  are  wanted  to  enforce  the  much  needed 
reforms.  The  views  of  Mr.  Bayard  are  not  extreme  in  this  case.  Mississippi 
and  the  whole  South,  indeed,  are  orderly  enough,  and  a presidential  campaign 
is  not  the  time  when  large  bodies  of  troops  should  be  stationed  in  any  State, 
when  they  are  needed  to  fight  the  common  enemy.  There  is  a dividing  line 
between  caution  and  rashness,  and  we  hope  the  administration  may  find  it.” 

Rainey,  the  negro  member  of  Congress  from  South  Carolina,  said 
if  they  failed  to  get  troops  in  the  South  to  control  the  election,  he 
would  advise  his  people  to  arm  themselves  and  to  sell  their  lives  as 
dearly  as  possible.  “Then,”  he  added  with  a snap  of  his  jaws,  “if  we 
are  not  strong  enough  to  light  that  way,  by  the  living  God,  We  will 
bring  the  torch  into  combat,  and  bum  out  all  who  seek  our  destruc- 
tion . ’ ’ 

Gen.  Phil  A.  Sheridan,  the  “Rough  Rider”  of  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  in  Virginia,  who,  with  five  thousand  troops,  passed  up  that 
section  and  desolated  it,  at  a time  when  there  Were  none  to  defend  it, 
making  war  on  its  unarmed  and  helpless  inhabitants,  it  was  announced 
by  telegram  had  been  appointed  military  commander  of  the  States  of 
Mississippi,  Arkansas,  Louisiana  and  Alabama. 

The  apprehension  of  the  people  in  consequence  of  this  appoint- 
ment could  not  be  appreciated.  It  was  evident  to  them  that  Presi- 
dent Grant  and  the  radical  party  intended  again  to  place  the  South- 


324 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


em  States  under  military  rule  in  order  to  control  the  coming  fall 
election. 

Sheridan’s  connection  with  the  Louisiana  troubles  and  his  denun- 
ciation of  our  people  as  banditti,  and  having  advocated  that  they  be 
tried  as  such  and  shot,  gave  room  for  the  most  serious  consequences. 
Another  military  despotism,  presided  over  by  a man  whom  they  re- 
garded as  destitute  of  civilized  sensibilities,  a brute  in  character  as  a 
commander,  the  slaughterer  of  a camp  of  sick  Indians,  was  considered 
to  be  willing  to  perpetrate  any  outrage  that  might  be  desired  of  him 
by  his  master  against  the  white  people  of  these  States  in  order  to 
reestablish  negro  supremacy. 

Just  at  this  time  a great  fever  of  excitement  was  raised  by  the 
news  from  Wilkinson  County  and  West  Feliciana  Parish,  La. 

One  Weber,  a member  of  the  Louisiana  Legislature,  instructed 
the  negroes  that  the  only  hope  for  the  success  of  the  radical  party  in 
that  State,  was  to  prevent  the  Democrats  from  organizing  and  break 
up  their  club  meetings  by  armed  force.  Learning  a club  was  to  be 
organized  at  Dr.  Perkins’  place,  seven  miles  south  of  Woodville,  at 
the  State  line,  about  forty  armed  negroes  went  there  to  break  it  up. 
Finding  no  club  and  no  one  else  to  kill  they  murdered  Max  Aronson, 
a Jew  storekeeper,  and  wounded  his  colored  clerk. 

Gains,  the  negro  leader,  seconded  by  Swazey  and  Ben  King,  two 
other  negro  leaders,  proclaimed  war  and  began  to  increase  his  force. 

In  the  meantime  Col.  Mose  Jackson  raised  a small  body  of  men 
and  on  Sunday  engaged  in  a lively  skirmish  with  the  negroes,  about 
six  hundred  strong.  On  Monday  it  was  ascertained  that  the  negroes 
had  concentrated  a force  of  about  eight  hundred  men  at  Fort  Adams. 
Col.  Jackson  was  heavily  reinforced,  and  was  joined  by  two  large  com- 
panies of  cavalry,  under  Col.  Powers.  The  negroes  were  attacked 
and  routed  with  severe  loss.  Gains,  the  leader,  was  captured  and  hung. 

All  these  circumstances,  with  some  little  local  disturbances  caused 
by  negroes  insulting  white  ladies,  created  intense  anxiety  among  the 
people  of  Pike  County  and  convinced  them  that  the  time  had  not 
yet  come  when  they  should  cease  to  be  on  the  alert  or  relax  their 
energies  in  the  coming  political  contest. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


325 


If  the  reader  will  bear  with  the  writer  in  this  recital  it  will  be  shown 
that  all  the  means  that  could  be  brought  to  bear  in  Pike  County 
would  not  prevent  an  utter  destruction  of  the  negro  race  at  this  mo- 
ment if  the  same  circumstances  surrounding  other  communities  had 
been  forced  upon  the  white  people  here.  It  has  already  been  said 
that  a great  influence  was  wielded  by  one  man  in  Pike  County,  which 
few  people  appreciated  at  the  time.  The  very  first  outbreak  on  the 
part  of  the  negroes  would  have  been  the  death  knell  of  the  race  in 
Pike  County.  At  Tylertown  a negro  named  Dick  Tyler,  who  has 
been  mentioned  in  a former  chapter  as  an  obedient  and  trustworthy 
slave,  insulted  some  white  ladies  in  that  community.  It  was  a wise 
precaution  taken  by  twenty  men  of  his  own  color  to  provide  them- 
selves with  the  necessary  outfit  for  his  punishment,  which  resulted 
in  his  leaving  the  country. 

The  Democratic  Club  at  Tylertown  Was  presided  over  by  Benja- 
min Lampton,  a man  well  beloved  by  all  people,  and  it  Was  composed 
of  members  that  Would  not  permit  an  insult  to  a white  lady  by  negroes. 
They  had  invited  the  negro  men  of  the  community  to  join  them  and 
aid  in  the  effort  to  restore  amicable  political  relations  with  them. 
The  negroes  were  dependent  for  homes,  for  labor  to  earn  their  support, 
for  the  food  they  ate,  for  the  clothes  they  wore,  for  medicines  and  med- 
ical attention,  for  the  education  of  their  children,  wholly  upon  the 
white  people,  and  it  was  time  for  them  to  cease  obstructing  the  ave- 
nues which  led  to  peace  and  happiness  and  prosperity.  When  these 
things  could  be  impressed  upon  their  minds,  it  Was  then  and  then  only 
that  a future  security  for  them  could  be  assured.  On  one  occasion, 
the  most  important  perhaps  that  ever  occurred  in  that  little  village, 
a voice  Was  heard  that  awakened  an  interest  in  the  future  course  of 
the  negroes  at  Tylertown.  When  the  Democratic  Club  told  them 
that  their  rights  were  not  in  danger  and  that  they  should  be  made 
secure  in  all  that  pertained  to  good  citizenship,  the  voice  of  reason 
should  have  come  to  them  for  once.  They  had  never  attended  a 
Democratic  political  speaking.  It  had  been  the  policy  of  their  lead- 
ers to  hold  up  to  their  view  the  ever  frightful  and  cadaverous  skele- 
ton constructed  from  the  corpse  of  slavery. 


326 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


In  the  next  few  weeks  succeeding  the  one  mentioned  here  a case 
occurred  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Lawrence  which  gave  a backset 
to  the  efforts  made  to  smooth  over  racial  conditions.  A negro  com- 
mitted an  assault  upon  a white  lady,  but  was  promptly  hung  for  the 
crime. 

The  radical  papers  all  over  the  South  began  the  publication  of  the 
most  extreme  and  incendiary  editorials,  advising  the  negroes  to  acts 
of  desperation,  calculated  to  incense  the  Democratic  press  and  cause 
them  to  retort  in  an  equally  threatening  and  vindictive  spirit. 

These  were  some  of  the  conditions  presented  at  the  opening  of  the 
campaign  of  1876,  and  they  were  conditions  to  be  met  with  a firm 
resolve. 

When  the  white  people  saw  the  character  of  the  forces  arrayed 
against  them  it  was  determined  to  be  fully  prepared  and  conduct  a 
campaign  under  the  most  aggressive  conditions.  The  executive 
committee  arranged  a plan  of  campaign  and  all  the  clubs  in  the  county 
held  weekly  meetings.  Hon.  Samuel  E.  Packwood,  Hugh  Q.  Bridges 
and  the  editor  of  the  Magnolia  Herald  Were  appointed  speakers  to 
visit  the  clubs  and  address  the  people  on  public  occasions.  Thomas 
R.  Stockdale,  Samuel  A.  Matthews,  David  W.  Hurst,  Isaac  Apple- 
white,  Harry  Applewhite,  John  S.  Lamkin,  James  C.  Lamkin,  all  able 
speakers,  entered  in  the  work  to  secure  the  success  of  the  party. 

An  effort  was  made  to  break  up  the  negro  Democratic  Club  at 
Magnolia  by  putting  the  negro  women  forward  to  abuse  its  members, 
and  threats  were  made  by  the  “inconvincible”  negroes,  as  they  were 
termed,  but  the  Democratic  whites  gave  them  protection  and  put  a 
stop  to  it  at  once.  Pike  County  had  its  share  of  irreconcilable  and 
obstreperous  negroes  who  needed  something  more  than  gentle  per- 
suasion and  argument,  and,  while  the  white  clubs  in  all  the  election 
precincts  were  offering  inducements  to  them  to  come  with  them,  it 
was  determined  never  again  to  be  placed  under  negro  domination. 
The  carpetbagger  and  negro  had  been  on  top  for  some  years  and  held 
the  guns  while  the  white  people  had  to  pay  the  bills  and  feed  them. 
The  whites  were  on  top  now  and  held  the  guns  and  they  were  going 
to  continue  to  hold  them  at  all  hazards.  Argument  and  reason  had 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


327 


failed  to  convince  them  in  the  past.  It  was  time  for  a practical  illus- 
tration of  Caucasian  manhood  and  tutelage  by  object  lessons. 

The  negro  club  at  Magnolia  Worked  so  earnestly  and  faithfully 
against  the  threats  and  intimidations  offered  them  by  men  and  women 
of  their  own  color  that  they  were  honored  by  the  white  people  of  Mag- 
nolia with  a public  banner  presentation.  The  banner  was  received 
on  the  part  of  the  club  by  Martin  Russell,  the  Secretary.  Rifhsell 
was  an  ex-Union  soldier,  an  educated  man  and  a good- j^d'gef idfUiu- 
man  nature.  ^ j.s'roornsd 

It  was  a curious  fact  that  all,  or  nearly  all  the  great  neWgpap^ 
at  the  North  were  wholly  in  sympathy  with  the  carpetbaggers  an® 
negroes  against  the  white  people  of  their  own  race  and  blood.  All  of 
the  so-called  savage  barbarity,  outrages  and  crimes  claimed  to  have 
been  perpetrated  in  the  Southern  States,  were  laid  at  the  door  of  the 
white  people.  The  negro  was  the  innocent  lamb  led  to  the  slaughter 
pen,  and  the  carpetbaggers  were  the  persecuted  missionaries  and  Chris- 
tian martyrs  to  the  cause  of  humanity,  and  it  gave  unction  to  their 
benighted  souls  when  the  military  interceded  to  oppress  the  Southern 
whites. 

In  every  single  instance  within  the  knowledge  and  experience  of 
this  writer,  where  there  was  a clash  between  the  negroes  and  whites, 
the  negroes  were  the  beginners  and  aggressors.  It  is  so  to-day. 

During  this  political  campaign,  in  1876,  there  is  only  one  instance 
to  be  recorded  where  Democratic  speakers  succeeded  in  drawing  the 
attention  of  a negro  audience  at  a public  meeting  in  Pike  County. 
The  club  at  Tylertown  extended  a special  invitation  to  S.  E.  Pack- 
Wood,  Hugh  Q.  Bridges  and  the  writer  to  deliver  addresses  at  that 
place.  Packwood  was  well  known  as  a forceful  speaker;  he  had  lived 
among  them  for  twenty-five  years.  Hugh  Bridges  was  a captivating 
orator  and  the  editor  of  the  Herald  Was  born  and  raised  among  them. 
A large  number  were  present. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  speaking  they  stood  afar  off,  but  were 
gradually  coaxed  up  around  the  stand  during  the  closing  address, 
when  they  received  enlightenment  on  the  forty  acres  and  a mule  and 
the  Freedmans  Bank  swindles,  with  an  illustration  of  how  they  ob- 


328 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


tained  their  pork  and  beans  at  the  hands  of  Benjamin  Lampton, 
the  President  of  the  Tylertown  Club,  whose  interests  they  had  been 
casting  their  votes  to  cripple;  and  if  the  members  of  this  club  who  they 
had  voted  against  in  the  past  were  to  cut  off  their  supplies,  they,  with 
their  wives  and  children  would  starve  to  death  in  ten  days,  unless 
they  went  to  stealing,  which  Would  result  in  every  one  of  them  being 
hung. 

This  was  an  opportune  occasion  and  the  first  and  only  one  when 
a Democrat  got  a shot  at  them  from  his  mouthpiece,  and  they  were 
admonished  that  the  time  had  come  when  there  must  be  a change 
in  their  attitude  toward  those  who  gave  them  houses  to  live  in  and 
furnished  them  the  necessities  of  life;  and  there  was  going  to  be  a 
change  if  every  negro  had  to  be  swept  from  the  face  of  the  earth; 
and  before  the  dawn  of  the  day  of  the  November  election  they  would 
hear  it  thunder  as  it  had  never  thundered  before  in  Pike  County. 

The  writer  does  not  say  it  boastfully,  but  he  was  almost  constantly 
in  the  saddle  or  on  other  conveyance  visiting  clubs  and  arranging 
details  to  make  sure  of  the  result  on  the  day  of  the  election.  A large 
amount  of  powder  was  obtained  for  different  neighborhoods  and 
election  precincts  to  be  used  the  night  before  the  election.  A torch 
light  horseback  procession  was  arranged  to  make  a circuit  from 
Holmesville  around  by  China  Grove  to  Tylertown  and  return.  This 
procession  was  headed  by  Jesse  K.  Brumfield  and  the  editor  of  the 
Magnolia  Herald,  who  rode  side  by  side  the  entire  circuit  of  over  thirty 
miles.  The  pine  tree  cannonading  began  about  ten  o’clock  and  con- 
tinued through  the  night.  The  torch  light  procession  proceeded  by 
China  Grove  and  stopped  for  a few  minutes  at  the  residence  of  Hon. 
A.  S.  Bishop,  where  there  was  an  exchange  of  courtesies  in  which 
Mrs.  Bishop  and  some  other  ladies  participated  with  most  gracious 
hospitality  and  kindness.  From  here  it  proceeded  to  Tylertown, 
recrossing  Magees  Creek  and  passing  by  the  old  Smith  place  and  the 
old  home  of  Sampson  L.  Lamkin.  During  this  time  the  horse  of  Jesse 
Brumfield  took  fright  and  lunged  against  the  horse  of  the  Writer, 
causing  a severe  and  painful  sprain  of  his  left  knee.  Some  little 
excitement  was  produced  in  the  ranks  by  the  report  that  a body  of 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


329 


negroes  were  in  ambush,  but  nothing  checked  the  procession.  Rans 
Lewis,  the  only  negro  in  Pike  Comity  who  had  never  voted  the  Re- 
publican ticket,  but  always  voted  the  Democratic  ticket,  was  with 
this  procession  from  start  to  finish. 

The  procession  arrived  at  Tylertown  about  twelve  o’clock,  where  a 
large  crowd  of  people,  containing  some  negroes,  awaited  it.  Mrs. 
Benjamin  Lampton  had  prepared  supper  for  a few.  After  partaking 
of  this  last  supper  with  a much  beloved  aunt,  the  writer  was  forced 
to  respond  to  repeated  calls. 

During  the  year  and  through  the  campaign  of  1876  the  White 
League  and  the  Bulldoozer  organizations  were  kept  up  in  Louisiana 
and  in  Mississippi.  The  most  persistent  and  bitter  opponents  and 
denouncers  of  these  organizations  were  the  carpetbaggers — political 
adventurers,  seekers  after  the  flesh-pots,  and  ambitious  negro  poli- 
ticians. The  United  States  military  and  government  authorities 
were  not  on  friendly  terms  with  them  either.  It  was  a bold  peasantry 
indeed  that  would  arm  themselves  and  assert  their  inherent  rights 
against  such  tremendous  odds.  Mississippi  had  complied  with  the 
terms  of  the  reconstruction  laws.  It  was  self-government  they  claim- 
ed and  the  overthrow  of  a system  which  was  bankrupting  the  tax- 
payers, who  were  the  white,  bona  fide  citizens  of  the  State. 

The  State  of  Louisiana  had  been  trampled  under  foot  and  the  right 
of  self-government  completely  overthrown  by  an  insolent  soldiery  and 
it  was  deliberately  approved  by  nearly  a unanimous  vote  of  the  Re- 
publican majority  in  the  United  States  Senate. 

In  his  message  to  Congress  in  February,  President  Grant  proposed 
the  invasion  of  Arkansas  and  the  overthrow  of  the  government  of 
that  State,  then  in  the  hands  of  the  men  he  had  already  recognized. 
What  then  could  be  expected  for  Mississippi,  even  after  she  had 
deposed  the  military  and  impeached  the  usurping  Governor  Ames? 

An  incident  occurred  in  the  town  of  Magnolia  during  this  time  to 
indicate  the  cool  determination  of  the  White  League  and  Bulldoozer 
organizations.  One  of  their  number  had  been  arrested  and  confined 
in  the  county  jail  at  Magnolia.  John  Q.  Travis  was  Sheriff,  F.  W. 
Collins,  First  Deputy,  and  Dave  Walker,  Under  Deputy.  A band  of 


330 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


about  seventy-five  White  Leaguers,  said  to  be  from  Louisiana,  unex- 
pectedly appeared  just  on  the  outskirts  of  the  western  part  of  town 
and  went  into  camp  on  the  Minnehaha  Creek,  in  old  time  cavalry 
fashion,  late  in  the  afternoon.  The  Sheriff  and  his  deputies  were  un- 
able to  cope  wich  such  a body  of  men  so  unexpectedly  appearing  at 
the  county  seat,  even  if  they  had  attempted  or  committed  an  overt 
act.  They  simply  went  into  camp  and  proceeded  to  broil  their  meat 
and  cook  their  hoecakes  and  procure  feed  for  their  horses,  “very 
deliberately.”  After  dark  the  Sheriff  sent  his  Deputy,  Dave  Walker, 
and  one  or  two  other  persons  out  to  spy  and  scout  around  to  ascertain 
their  objects.  Walker  was  captured  and  held  a prisoner  all  night. 
Scouting  parties  of  this  command  were  sent  all  over  Magnolia  making 
inquiries  for  the  Sheriff,  after  night  set  in.  It  was  a bright  moonshine 
night.  The  Sheriff  took  refuge  in  the  residence  of  Rev.  Farris,  a 
Baptist  minister,  and  went  to  bed.  Deputy  Sheriff  Collins  became 
the  guest  of  the  editor  of  the  Magnolia  Herald,  who  had  the  reputation 
of  being  the  Bulldoozer  mouthpiece.  The  whole  town  of  Magnolia 
soon  got  into  a fever  of  excitement  over  the  invasion  of  the  Louisiana 
Bulldoozers  and  their  determined  effort  to  capture  the  Sheriff  of  Pike 
County  and  his  deputies.  After  assuring  Mr.  Collins  of  perfect  se- 
curity and  protection  at  his  home,  the  editor  of  the  Herald  walked  out 
on  the  streets  and  encountered  several  squads  and  conversed  with 
them.  They  said  they  wanted  to  find  the  Sheriff  to  get  the  jail  key 
to  get  their  friend  out  of  jail  and  they  intended  to  have  him  or  tear 
the  jail  open,  if  they  could  noc  get  the  key.  The  editor  suggested  to 
them  that  they  all  retire  to  camp  and  wait  cill  after  breakfast  time  in 
the  morning;  that  they  could  not  find  the  officers  even  by  searching 
every  house  in  town,  perhaps;  to  go  back  to  camp  and  tell  their  com- 
mander to  wait  till  morning  and  ride  in  to  the  court  house  square; 
that  the  Chancery  Clerk  was  authorized  under  the  law  to  fix  the  amount 
of  the  bond  and  they  could  get  their  comrade  out  of  jail  without 
violence  and  that  there  were  some  people  in  the  community  who  would 
be  pleased  at  their  success  in  order  that  they  themselves  might  escape 
apparent  danger.  The  suggestion  was  adopted  and  the  following  day 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


331 


the  bond  was  fixed  and  the  prisoner  released,  when  the  troop  disap- 
peared as  mysteriously  as  it  came. 

It  is  estimated  that  over  forty  thousand  negroes  were  enrolled 
in  the  Democratic  ranks  and  voted  the  Democratic  ticket  in  the  fall 
election  of  1876.  A tremendous  majority  was  given  in  the  State  for 
Samuel  J.  Tilden  for  President. 

In  Pike  County  there  was  a clear  gain  of  six  hundred  votes  for 
the  Democratic  ticket  over  the  returns  of  the  election  of  1875. 

From  the  very  first  pioneer  who  settled  in  Pike  County  territory, 
in  1799,  there  had  not  been  any  census  of  the  county  taken  or  re- 
ported until  1820,  When  the  population  Was  shown  to  be  4,438,  five 
years  after  the  county  was  formed.  In  i860,  it  was  shown  to  be  11,- 
135;  in  1870,  11,303;  in  1880,  16,688;  in  1890,  21,203;  and  hi  1900, 
27. 545- 

In  consequence  of  the  ravages  of  war  and  the  revolutionary  con- 
ditions prevailing  the  next  five  years  after  its  close,  the  increase  of 
the  population  of  the  county  from  i860  to  1870  was  only  168,  while 
the  next  ten  years  showed  an  increase  of  5,365. 

After  the  re-establishment  of  authority  and  government  by  the 
white  people  and  the  restoration  of  peace  and  confidence,  the  gain  was 
commensurate  therewith,  and  che  growth  in  population,  prosperity, 
wealth  and  happiness  that  followed,  the  fulfillment  of  the  aims  of  the 
leaders  and  the  rank  and  file  of  the  White  League. 

Tilden  and  Hendricks  were  elected  President  and  Vice-President 
at  this  election  by  a large  popular  vote  and  by  a majority  of  the  elec- 
toral college,  but  so  determined  were  those  of  the  Republican  party 
in  control  of  the  executive  and  legislative  branches  of  the  United 
States  government  to  keep  the  Democratic  candidates  out  that  a 
measure  was  passed  by  the  Congress  to  render  the  decision  of  the 
election  in  a manner  contrary  to  the  provisions  of  the  Constitution, 
and  so  stultifying  in  its  character  as  to  stamp  the  Republican  candi- 
date who  was  declared  elected  by  this  fraudulent  act,  as  "His  Fraud- 
ulency  R.  B.  Hayes,”  thus  adding  another  chapter  of  scandal  to  the 
name  of  the  United  States  government,  in  its  shameful  record  through- 
out the  war  against  the  Southern  States  and  the  reconstruction  era. 


332 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Infamous  as  the  crime  was  in  making  R.  B.  Hayes  President,  it 
will  always  be  remembered  of  him  that  he  exerted  himself  in  a laud- 
able way  to  harmonize  the  bitter  feeling  of  the  Southern  people  engen- 
dered during  Grant’s  administration,  by  removing  the  United  States 
troops  and  stopping  their  interference  in  State  affairs;  and  from  his 
administration  dates  the  beginning  of  the  rehabiliment  of  Mississippi. 

Let  the  recollections  of  the  past  be  a lesson  for  those  who  come  in 
the  future  to  teach  them  to  love  their  country  and  adhere  to  the  fun- 
damental principles  upon  which  the  government  and  their  liberties 
were  founded  though  the  heavens  fall. 

“Ill  fares  the  land  to  hastening  ills  a prey, 

Where  wealth  accumulates  and  men  decay; 

Princes  and  lords  may  flourish  or  may  fade, 

A breath  can  make  them  as  a breath  is  made. 

But  a bold  peasantry,  their  country’s  pride, 

When  once  destroyed  can  never  be  supplied; 

'Tis  yours  to  judge  how  wide  the  limits  stand 
Between  a splendid  and  a happy  land.’’ 


WILD  JIM  BARNES. 

In  its  early  history  there  existed  in  the  State  of  Mississippi  a band 
of  outlaws,  and  many  were  the  scenes  enacted  that  gave  rise  to  exag- 
gerated sensational  reports  of  lawlessness  which  frustrated  the  au- 
thorities as  to  the  methods  best  to  be  adopted  to  defeat  the  schemes 
concocted  by  them  to  further  their  aims  in  depredating  on  the  live 
stock  and  other  movable  property  of  farmers  and  others  that  the 
organization  operated  on. 

There  Was  an  organization  known  as  Copeland’s  Clan.  This  clan 
had  a line  of  operation  from  Alabama,  through  Mississippi,  Louisiana, 
Arkansas  and  Texas,  and  along  this  line  there  lived  a class  of  farmers 
who  were  in  league  with  the  clan,  aiding  and  abetting  their  Work  and 
harboring  the  active  operators.  A system  of  relays  was  established 
so  that  a horse  could  be  stolen  from  a community  and,  during  the 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


333 


night,  hurried  off  twenty  miles  to  the  next  man  and  the  actual  thief 
back  at  the  place  of  theft  without  being  missed  from  the  neighbor- 
hood and  the  horse  hurried  on  to  the  next  relay  and  so  on  until  he  was 
entirely  out  of  reach,  without  the  owner  being  able  to  get  trace  of 
him,  and  thus  back  and  forth  through  a wide  area  the  work  went  on 
for  many  years,  until  finally  it  was  broken  up  by  the  Governor  of 
Mississippi,  who  put  a detective  at  work  among  them.  They 
were  sometimes  called  “Border  Beagles’’  and  a book  was  pub- 
lished bearing  that  title,  giving  a history  of  their  operations.  But 
there  was  what  we  may  call  a tail  end  to  this  clan  which  revived  some 
years  after  the  main  head  had  been  chopped  off,  that  operated  in 
scattered  sections,  almost  every  county  in  the  State  being  more  or 
less  troubled  at  times  with  its  work.  This  is  reverted  to  in  order  to 
reach  the  subject  of  this  article,  who,  many  thought,  back  in  the  fif- 
ties, belonged  to  an  organized  clan  during  that  time. 

Wild  Jim  Barnes  was  a native  of  Marion  County  and  in  his  early 
training  was  given  advantage  of  a good  education.  He  sprang  from 
one  of  the  best  pioneer  families  of  that  county  and  was  considered 
to  be  a young  man  of  model  characteristics  up  to  a certain  period  of 
his  life,  when  he  was  set  adrift  in  pursuit  of  a livelihood  by  his  own 
exertions.  In  connection  with  his  excellent  education  he  possessed 
a most  remarkable  memory,  and  was  considered  a prodigy  in  this 
particular  gift.  Everything  he  heard  was  indelibly  stereotyped  on 
his  brain,  and,  like  the  graphophone,  had  only  to  be  wound  up  for  the 
occasion  to  reproduce  whatever  he  wished,  and  with  this  remarkable 
talent  he  was  possessed  of  the  gift  of  oratory,  witticism  and  sarcasm 
to  a wonderful  degree.  Whenever  the  occasion  presented  itself  he 
could  and  would  reproduce  any  speech  or  sermon  he  ever  heard  and 
even  in  his  early  manhood  he  got  to  be  a regular  encyclopedia  of  ser- 
mons, speeches  and  prayers.  He  figured  in  Pike  County  to  some  ex- 
tent and  gave  to  the  writer,  in  his  boyhood,  a lesson  he  never  forgot. 
He  was  a prisoner  in  1858,  in  the  town  of  Holmesville,  and  was  kept 
under  guard  until  a trial  could  be  had  on  the  charges  preferred  against 
him,  as  the  county  jail  had  been  destroyed  by  fire  when  the  only  pris- 
oner in  it  at  the  time  was  cremated  in  the  building.  The  writer  was 


334 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


one  of  the  guards  appointed  by  the  Sheriff  to  watch  at  night,  and  this 
fact  gave  rise  co  the  information  which  this  article  contains. 

He  was  arrested  ac  the  instance  of  Robert  Ligon,  a justice  of  the 
peace,  in  the  town  of  Summit,  charged  with  grand  larceny.  His 
witticism  was  pointed  and  side-splitting  at  times.  He  was  a great 
talker  and  always  commanded  an  attentive  audience.  He  ridiculed 
the  officer  who  had  him  arrested  on  such  a charge  and  characterized 
his  court  as  a nonentity.  A famous  expression  fell  from  his  lips  in 
which  he  stated  that  “a  bright  idea  has  as  much  room  for  navigation 
in  that  officer’s  brain  as  a frog  has  in  Lake  Erie.” 

On  one  occasion  he  was  taken  to  jail  and  delivered  an  interesting 
sermon  to  a large  crowd,  on  cucumberology,  taking  “the  cool  cucum- 
ber” as  his  text,  and  declared,  with  vehement  emphasis,  eloquence 
and  convincing  argument  that  the  cucumber  was  as  apt  to  be  saved 
as  some  of  the  gourd-headed  upstarts  who  had  filed  affidavit  against 
him  on  charges  they  could  not  prove,  based  upon  the  best  of  their 
knowledge  and  belief,  which  was  merely  a freak  of  their  imagination. 

Wild  Jim  Barnes  traveled  from  Alabama  to  Texas,  and  back  and 
forth,  which  gave  rise  to  the  supposition  that  he  was  following  an 
unlawful  avocation  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  numerous  gangs  of 
horse  and  negro  thieves  that  infested  the  South  in  those  days,  and  it 
took  considerable  means  to  pay  expenses.  Horseback  was  the  prin- 
cipal mode  of  traveling,  on  account  of  the  character  of  the  roads, 
trails  and  by-paths  that  had  to  be  followed  to  reach  given  points  in 
sparsely  settled  sections.  There  were  no  railroads  nor  telegraph  lines, 
and  the  facilities  for  the  transmission  of  news  was  through  the  slow 
process  of  the  mails  carried  on  horseback  or  by  stage,  and  the  outlaw 
or  the  one  engaged  in  a questionable  avocation  could  out  travel  these 
and  be  far  away  before  the  news  would  reach  a point  desired.  Jim 
often  got  hard  pressed  for  money  to  meet  his  demands,  but  he  was 
resourceful,  and  when  he  got  into  a good  neighborhood  it  was  said 
he  would  hold  divine  services,  either  Baptist  or  Methodist,  as  occasion 
fitted,  prayer  meeting,  protracted  meetings  and  Sunday  sermons, 
for  the  betterment  of  the  community  and  particularly  for  the  better- 
ment of  his  empty  pocketbook,  and  he  always  left  full  handed.  Wheth- 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


335 


er  Wild  Jim  Bames  was  the  originator  of  this  style  of  raising  funds 
for  the  depleted  finances  of  the  ministry  in  South  Mississippi  and  else- 
where, there  is  no  positive  proof,  but  it  was  practicable  and  Jim  may 
have  been  the  originator  of  it  for  aught  we  know.  It  is  said  at  times, 
when  he  wanted  to  “raise  a flush,”  he  would  sell  his  horse  and  then 
hold  a big  meeting,  make  a poor  mouth  to  the  brethren  about  having 
lost  his  horse,  being  on  his  way  to  fill  a mission  or  attend  a special  call 
at  a great  distance.  He  proved  his  mission  by  his  ability  to  preach 
and  would  hold  meetings  and  give  them  some  of  his  fine  sermons,  and 
his  gift  of  oratory  and  entertainment  never  failed  him.  He  would 
stir  up  their  religious  feelings  and  sympathy  and  always  got  a new 
horse,  and  then  when  he  reached  a suitable  village  or  town  he  was 
ready  for  a game  of  poker,  or  a horse  race. 

One  of  his  impressive  sermons,  for  the  “hat  act,”  was  on  the  sub- 
ject of  homes,  the  text  being  taken  from  the  5th  chapter  and  9th  verse 
“of  the  gospel  of  our  Lord,  by  Isaiah.” 

“In  mine  ears  said  the  Lord  of  hosts,  of  a truth  many  houses  shall 
be  desolate,  even  great  and  fair,  without  inhabitant.”  Care  was 
taken  to  impress  upon  his  hearers  that  a homeless  man  was  a sad 
subject  to  contemplate  and  how  wholly  dependent  the  sen’ ant  of  the 
Lord  was  on  the  brethren  of  the  church  for  sustenance  and  support 
to  enable  him  to  satisfactorily  discharge  his  duties  to  his  flock.  God 
had  given  to  us  all  the  privilege  to  locate  a home  and  build  a house 
and  be  the  possessor  of  all  that  We  need ; but  when  We  thought  we  had 
reached  the  height  of  our  desires  for  comfort  and  happiness,  a wave 
of  illness  would  spread  over  the  land  and  the  angel  of  death  appear, 
and  behold  the  house  made  desolate.  It  is  the  house  well  provided 
and  administered  that  gives  the  happiness  He  intended  we  should 
enjoy  on  this  earth,  and  when  we  believe  in  Him  and  do  His  will, 
we  will  be  rewarded  abundantly,  as  Was  the  case  with  Job,  until  he 
fell  into  the  meshes  of  the  devil.  When  we  lay  aside  the  will  of  the 
Lord  that  moment  the  devil  reaches  out  and  takes  us  by  the  hand 
and  leads  us  astray  from  the  paths  of  righteousness  and  we  become 
sorely  afflicted.  Job  was  always  patient,  so  say  the  Scriptures,  and 
he  believed  it  was  for  his  own  good  that  affliction  was  put  upon  him, 


336 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  it  Was  Well  that  he  believed  this  that  he  might  bear  his  affliction 
with  more  patience.  But  I am  not  exactly  prepared  to  say  that  I 
would  feel  as  Job  did. 

'‘Of  a truth  many  houses  shall  be  desolate,  even  great  and  fair, 
without  inhabitant,”  says  the  text,  and  in  the  palace  as  well  as  in 
the  hovel  there  shall  be  desolation. 

"And  the  mean  man  shall  be  brought  down,  and  the  mighty  man 
shall  be  humbled,  and  the  eyes  of  the  lofty  shall  be  humbled,”  says 
the  prophet,  Isaiah,  and  we  see  it  all  through  our  lives. 

No  man  or  woman  should  fail  to  perform  the  duties  devolved 
upon  them  in  responding  to  the  calls  made  upon  them  by  one  of  the 
Maker’s  servants  who  has  laid  aside  all  he  possessed  to  administer  to 
the  spiritual  needs  of  His  children.  Christ  has  said:  "Sell  all  thou 

hast  and  follow  me,”  and  now  there  is  an  opportunity  presented  for 
those  whose  alms  should  be  freely  given,  if  they  would  escape  afflic- 
tion and  torment,  and  desire  to  obtain  everlasting  life,  lest  the  house 
become  desolate.  Let  your  light  shine  so  that  it  will  be  acceptable 
to  the  Lord,  that  you  may  feel  the  consolation  that  you  have  given 
freely  of  your  great  abundance  to  advance  His  Divine  Will.”  And 
then  Brother  Barnes  would  submit  his  distressed  condition  to  the 
congregation  through  one  of  the  deacons  whom  he  had  previously 
coached  to  make  the  call  for  help.  Success  always  crowned  his 
efforts. 

When  the  Civil  War  broke  out  Wild  Jim  Barnes  joined  a compnay 
that  became  a part  of  the  Thirty-third  Mississippi  Regiment,  command- 
ed by  Col.  David  W.  Hurst,  Featherston’s  Brigade,  Loring’s  Division, 
of  the  Army  of  Tennessee,  C.  S.  A.,  and  performed  the  duties  of  a 
faithful  soldier.  But  he  kept  up  his  old  practice  of  preaching  for 
profit  in  the  army,  taking  up  collections  to  buy  blankets  for  the  boys, 
and  gambling.  Whenever  a chance  offered,  when  near  a large  town, 
he  would  have  it  announced  that  Brother  Barnes  of  the  33rd 
Mississippi  would  hold  divine  services  in  one  of  the  churches  and  he 
would  preach  one  of  his  most  stirring  sermons,  and  always  made  a 
good  hit  and  a good  haul,  in  Confederate  money,  which  he  divided 
generously  with  the  members  of  his  company,  and  when  monotonous 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


337 


camp  life  was  on  and  the  boys  wanted  something  refreshing,  they 
would  call  on  him  to  hold  a meeting.  He  always  responded  as  sin- 
cerely and  earnestly  as  if  he  had  been  a regularly  ordained  minister. 

A man  who  could  thus  command  the  wages  of  a minister  of  the 
gospel  and  be  a mischievous  runabout  and  sportsman  was  an  enigma 
to  all  who  knew  Wild  Jim  Barnes.  He  may  have  lived  in  its  atmos- 
phere as  happily  as  any  person  performing  the  regularly  ordained 
and  acknowledged  functions  of  the  Church,  and  perhaps  more  so. 
We  have  no  evidence  that  he  ever  gave  a thought  to  anything  of  great- 
er value  to  himself  or  to  the  World.  While  he  was  a genius  and  a man 
qualified  to  stand  aloof  from  such  conduct  as  that  attributed  to  him, 
he  never  gave  to  mankind  any  evidence  of  heroic  self-abnegation 
that  belongs  to  those  whose  lives  are  free  from  stain.  If  he  possessed 
talents  to  advance  a great  cause  it  would  seem  reasonable  that  there 
is  something  in  the  personal  influence  of  a Creator  on  man  for  special 
purposes. 

Here  we  have  a man  with  power  of  thought,  of  language,  eloquence 
and  witticism  and  great  memory  traveling  over  the  country  as  itin- 
erant minister  at  times  and  at  others  filling  the  roll  of  a gambler,  or 
of  a vagabond  from  established  moral  society.  He  performed  the  farce 
act  for  the  ministerial  department  of  churches  on  his  own  hook  at  a 
time  when  ignorance  and  superstition  predominated  a large  class  of 
the  people  in  sections  where  he  operated,  a representation  of  hypoc- 
risy, of  a class  who;  believe  they  only  were  the  elect  and  saints  on  earth 
and  who  abused  the  power  entrusted  to  them  by  humbugging  the 
people,  as  illustrated  by  Wild  Jim  Barnes,  who  gave  to  the  World  the 
picture  of  saintly  ministry  for  personal  profit  as  proof  of  a plan  which 
has  dominated  the  ministerial  forces  of  the  Christian  churches,  as 
evidenced  in  later  history,  and  which  With  thinking  men  has  dam- 
aged the  cause  of  Christianity;  and  religion  has  been  prostitut- 
ed in  the  glow  and  glitter  of  costly  edifices  and  paraphernalia  for 
the  edification  of  the  rich  and  haughty,  while  the  poor  and  meek  and 
the  lowly  are  driven  to  the  hovels,  beshamed  and  denied  association 
with  those  they  can  not  reach  in  personal  adornment.  The  relig- 
ion of  the  holy  Jesus  who  was  bom  in  a manger  and  whose  teachings 

22 


338 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


and  examples  were  of  the  purest  simplicity  and  suited  to  all  mankind 
has  been  superseded  by  the  glamor  of  costly  temples,  where  wealth 
revels  and  where  souls  that  are  earnest  and  sincere  are  denied  entrance 
without  pay;  and  to  raise  means  to  sustain  these  establishments 
and  their  belongings,  great  advertisements  and  bill  posters  are  sent 
abroad  announcing  protracted  revival  meetings  which  are  turned 
into  collection  bureaux,  while  millions  are  starving  on  account  of  the 
taxation.  In  the  widespread  competition  for  supremacy  every  Chris- 
tian Church  is  struggling  to  outclass  its  rival  in  gorgeous  temples  of 
worship. 

Beneath  the  starry  dome  of  heaven,  the  blue  canopy  above  us, 
nor  in  the  woodland  groves  where  nature  spreads  out  in  wholesome 
glory,  are  not  good  enough  places  to  commune  with  God.  We  live 
in  an  age  When  wealth  stands  as  the  personification  of  all  that  is 
great  and  good,  and  the  mean  man  who  has  a rented  pew  set  aside 
for  his  own  exclusive  occupancy  is  not  disposed  to  worship  and  com- 
mune alongside  of  his  neighbor  whose  bank  account  is  inferior  to  his 
own. 

And  this  reminds  us  of  a story  told  on  Bob  Ingersoll.  While  a 
country  lawyer  in  Illinois,  he  visited  a large  city,  and,  as  was  his  cus- 
tom, he  attended  church  to  get  new  material  for  his  lectures  and 
seated  himself  in  the  first  convenient  pew.  Soon  afterward  the  renter 
of  the  pew  walked  in,  faultlessly  dressed,  and  seeing  his  pew  occupied 
by  a stranger,  drew  a card  from  his  pocket  and  wrote  upon  it  the  fol- 
lowing: "You  are  occupying  my  pew;  I pay  $500  a year  for  that 

pew.”  This  he  handed  to  the  old  pagan  through  the  usher.  Inger- 
soll reversed  the  card  and  wrote  the  following:  "You  pay  too  damned 

much,”  which  he  handed  to  the  five  hundred  dollar  pew  man  and 
walked  out. 

Wild  Jim  Barnes  gave  to  the  world  all  that  was  necessary  to  illus- 
trate what  has  been  Written,  and  he  made  a point  which  cannot  be 
refuted,  and  in  doing  this,  he  may  have  performed  the  Work  as- 
signed to  him  by  his  Creator. 

The  great  war  lifted  a veil  from  the  eyes  of  the  world.  The  com- 
batting forces  have  passed  into  the  annals  of  fame  and  the  sterling 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


339 


worth  of  those  who  have  been  spared  through  eventful  scenes  is  yet 
a synonym  of  glory.  In  the  line  that  fame  has  rewarded  there  are 
a few  who  are  the  survivors  of  its  immortal  heritage.  We  who  look 
back  to  the  desolation  wrought  and  the  blazing  glory  which  enshrines 
the  epoch  in  which  they  acted,  can  scarcely  conceive  the  wonderful 
advancement  that  has  crowned  our  Southland  from  the  Potomac  to 
the  Rio  Grande.  They  mastered  themselves  and  sustained  the  prin- 
ciples they  struggled  to  maintain  and  they  have  achieved  a still 
greater  glory  in  establishing  a firm  moral  character  on  their  descend- 
ants. It  is  seen  in  all  the  avenues  of  trade  and  the  productive  achieve- 
ments of  the  country  and  the  strength  of  the  government  under  which 
they  live.  They  are  its  support  in  conflict  or  in  peace,  and  they  live 
to  adorn  the  present  with  their  examples. 

LITTLE  JOE  LEWIS’  FAREWELL  SERMON. 

Little  Joe  Lewis  was  the  son  of  Joseph  Lewis,  one  of  the  pioneers 
who  settled  on  the  west  side  of  Magees  Creek,  some  miles  below  and 
south  of  the  present  site  of  TylertoWn,  on  the  plantation  still  known 
as  the  Joe  Lewis  place,  where  Little  Joe,  as  he  was  familiarly  called 
by  his  friends  and  neighbors,  was  bom,  and  who  had  acquired  dis- 
tinction as  a local  Baptist  preacher,  officiating  at  the  old  New  Zion 
Church,  in  the  southeastern  comer  of  Pike  County,  located  on  or  near 
the  Pushepatapa  Creek.  This  meeting  house  was  one  of  the  first 
erected  in  that  section  of  the  county  by  the  early  settlers  of  the  Bap- 
tist persuasion,  and  was  constructed,  like  all  other  early  meeting  houses, 
of  small  logs  for  the  main  body  and  subsequently  enlarged  by  the 
addition  of  wide  sheds  around  it,  so  as  to  give  accommodation  to  the 
increasing  population  of  whites  and  negro  slaves  adhering  to  the 
Baptist  faith  and  living  in  the  neighborhood.  Little  Joe’s  father  had 
officiated  here  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  community,  and,  in  con- 
nection with  the  Rev.  Willis  J.  Fortinberry,  had  organized  and  built 
up  a Christian  fellowship  that  has  lived  and  flourished  ever  since. 
The  war  had  come  on  in  the  sixties  and  was  progressing  with  all  its 
incident  suffering  and  horrors.  Nearly  all  the  men  of  military  age 


340 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


had  gone  to  the  scenes  of  the  conflict,  leaving  the  very  old  men  and 
boys  and  the  women  and  children  to  struggle  along  as  best  they  could, 
and  very  many  of  these  were  in  great  distress  for  reasons  growing  out 
of  the  war. 

In  his  childhood  and  boyhood  Little  Joe  had  to  work  hard  on  the 
farm,  shell  com  and  go  to  mill  at  Tyler’s  or  Conerly’s,  on  Dry  Creek, 
to  have  it  ground  into  meal  and  hominy,  and  sometimes  to  the  tan- 
nery of  Chauncey  Collins,  over  on  Collins  Creek,  to  carry  hides  in 
payment  of  shoes  for  the  family.  He  was  a sturdy,  good  boy  of  prac- 
tical common  sense  and  grew  up  so  under  pious  surroundings.  In 
his  young  manhood  he  became  strongly  impressed  in  religious  duties, 
and  though  acquiring  a limited  education,  such  only  as  could  be  ac- 
quired in  the  country  pay  schools  at  that  time,  felt  that  it  was  his 
duty  to  enter  the  ministry  and  preach  the  gospel,  and  in  a measure 
fill  the  mission  inaugurated  by  his  distinguished  father,  and  hence 
officiated  at  New  Zion  during  the  Civil  War.  He  announced  at  one 
of  his  well  attended  meetings  that  on  a certain  Sabbath  in  the  future 
he  would  deliver  his  farewell  sermon  at  his  home  church  at  New  Zion. 
When  the  time  came  it  was  a cold,  bleak,  drizzly  day  and  the  shiver- 
ing winds  were  howling  around  the  houses  and  moaning  through  the 
pines  and  were  too  much  for  those  whose  apparel  was  worn  and  thin 
from  the  absence  of  means  in  these  awful  war  times  to  supply  some- 
thing better.  Confederate  money  was  at  par — that  is,  it  was  worth 
dollar  for  dollar  of  the  same  sort  of  currency  and  scarce  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, too,  and  greenbacks  had  not  circulated  to  any  extent. 
Hence  a small  congregation  appeared  to  listen  to  Little  Joe’s  farewell 
sermon.  He  was  greatly  disappointed  at  the  small  gathering  as  mani- 
fested in  his  remarks  and  as  depicted  on  his  countenance  when  he 
arose  and  spoke  as  follows: 

“My  Dear  Friends:  When  I last  had  the  pleasure  of  appearing  before 

a congregation  in  this  house,  I annonuced  that  on  this  day  I would  be  here  to 
preach  my  farewell  sermon  before  taking  my  departure  to  the  State  of  Texas, 
here  I expect  to  reside  in  the  future. 

“Under  all  the  circumstances  I had  hoped  and  expected  to  be  greeted  by 
a large  congregation,  but,  behold,  the  seats  are  empty! 

“Now,  my  dear  friends,  if  I had  announced  that  on  this  day  I would  be 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


341 


here  for  the  purpose  of  distributing  ten  thousand  dollars,  what  scrouging! 
What  scrouging!!  What  scrouging!!! 

“I  had  intended  to  give  a discourse  on  a certain  passage  of  Paul’s  Epistles 
to  the  Corinthians,  but  under  the  circumstances  I shall  content  myself  with 
a few  general  remarks. 

“In  the  first  place,  my  dear,  dying  congregation,  I desire  to  warn  you  that 
the  salvation  of  your  precious  souls  is  of  greater  value  and  of  greater  concern 
to  you  than  the  acquirement  of  a few  paltry  dollars;  for  what  doth  it  profit  a 
man  to  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul? 

“I  feel  sure  that  if  this  idea  had  been  properly  impressed  on  the  minds  of 
my  people  I would  to-day  stand  in  the  presence  of  the  largest  congregation 
ever  assembled  on  these  grounds. 

My  friends,  I am  a plain  spoken  man,  and  when  I give  an  illustration  I 
want  it  to  illustrate. 

“Church  people  are  not  always  what  they  ought  to  be  and  sometimes  some 
of  them  are  not  what  they  appear  to  be.  They  sometimes  remind  me  of  the 
great  and  grand  forests.  We  go  out  and  into  them  and  view  and  admire  the 
beautiful  foliage,  the  symmetrical  poplars  and  stately  oaks.  They  all  appear 
to  be  sound,  but  lo,  when  the  axman  comes  to  cut  into  them  he  finds  many  of 
them  doty  and  filled  with  worms,  and  some  of  them  hollow  at  the  butt. 

“I  shall  not  expect  you  to  be  in  a very  pious  mood  on  this  day,  as  the  shiv- 
ering winds  are  rumbling  about  us  and  bringing  the  cold  damp  of  death  from 
the  mountains  in  the  far  off  North  where  our  soldiers  are  standing  guard  in 
defense  of  our  country. 

“I  wish  I could  see  the  effect  of  a spiritual  uprising,  so  that  we  could  feel 
the  flow  of  God’s  love  and  mercy  in  our  hearts.  I always  felt  that  God  was  a 
merciful  and  loving  God,  and  that  he  would  one  day  lift  our  benighted  souls 
into  a realization  of  His  desires,  but  it  seems  to  me  now  that  He  has  forgotten 
or  withdrawn  the  care  He  has  previously  bestowed  upon  us,  as  I see  so  few 
here  to-day  who  seem  concerned  about  which  way  the  contest  ends. 

“I  am  a lover  of  the  country  which  gave  me  birth  and  the  privilege  of  wor- 
shiping the  Lord  according  to  my  idea  of  it,  and  I desire  to  impress  upon  you 
the  full  import  of  the  duties  you  should  perform.  I am  at  a loss  to  understand 
why  I should  thus  become  the  innocent  victim  of  the  devil’s  schemes  to  rob 
a people  of  its  inheritance. 

“We  are  at  a stage  of  life  when  all  the  virtue  that  is  in  us  should  be  mani- 
fested in  the  true  Christian  spirit.  It  is  so  important  to  us  that  all  of  us  should 
join  in  the  refreshing  services  of  a day  when  our  souls  can  be  free  to  exert 
themselves.  I always  love  to  meet  my  people  on  the  Sabbath  when  the  cares 
of  the  workshop,  the  store  and  the  farm  can  be  laid  aside  and  we  can  come 
together  and  fulfill  the  mission  of  our  lives  in  the  blessings  of  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ.  I shall  live  to  remember  the  saddest  day  of  my  life  when  it 
became  necessary  for  me  to  depart  from  them.  Oh,  my  people,  where  are 
the  loved  ones  gone  now?  What  sacrifices  you  are  called  upon  to  make,  and 
yet  deny  yourselves  the  blessings  of  the  Maker! 


342 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


“If  God  has  given  the  people  a chance  to  become  the  children  of  righteous- 
ness and  they  prefer  the  ways  of  the  devil  instead,  it  is  all  right  with  me  and  I 
will  depart  in  peace. 

“If  Paul,  when  he  spoke  to  the  Romans,  had  flickered  in  the  least  the  devil 
would  have  given  him  due  compensation;  but  Paul  was  a man  of  power  and 
great  thought,  who  could  give  the  devil  his  dues  and  at  the  same  time  give  the 
Lord  His  dues;  but  here,  in  my  home  church,  where  I have  labored  long  and 
listened  to  the  wails  of  suffering  and  sorrow  and  the  sacrifices  of  the  women  of 
our  land  in  the  trying  ordeals  which  beset  our  country,  I am  confronted  with 
the  person  of  the  Devil,  who  has  been  promulgating  his  desires  in  the  midst 
of  my  people ! I at  least  desired  a full  congregation  so  that  a voice  from  heaven 
might  hover  over  them  upon  my  departure  and  give  them  a special  blessing, 
but  lo,  the  seats  are  empty  where  once  the  fond  father  and  the  pious  mothers, 
brothers  and  sisters  sang  the  songs  of  the  blessed  Redeemer.  If  it  is  the  will 
of  Him  who  sent  me  to  preach  to  them,  to  go  to  a distant  land  and  there  unfurl 
His  banner,  I shall  not  tarry  here  with  those  who  have  thus  forgotten  me  and 
disobeyed  His  will.  Away  over  yonder  in  the  sunlight  of  His  glory  I shall  be 
found  in  that  day  when  the  angels  call  us  hence. 

“This  occasion,  my  dear,  dying  congregation,  reminds  me  of  a song  which 
was  always  a harvest  of  joy  and  so  refreshing  that  I am  constrained  to  call  it 
up  now: 

Jesus,  lover  of  my  soul, 

Let  me  to  thy  bosom  fly; 

While  the  nearer  waters  roll, 

While  the  tempest  still  is  high. 

“My  dear,  dying  congregation,  I had  almost  said  my  dead  congregation! 

“In  the  morning  of  the  resurrection  I shall  be  glad  to  greet  my  people  if 
they  can  come  to  the  throne  of  grace  and  get  forgiveness  for  the  shortcomings 
of  this  occasion,  but  if  they  do  not,  there  will  be  wailing!  There  will  be  wail- 
ing! There  will  be  wailing  and  wailing! 

“I  admonish  you  to-day  that  in  the  quiet  hours  of  the  night  you  repair  to 
your  secret  closets  and  there  ask  God  to  give  you  love  and  happiness  and  sal- 
vation. It  will  stay  the  torrent  of  human  disasters  and  torment  that  afflict 
the  wicked.  The  evils  which  beset  us  is  the  stumbling  block  on  the  road  to 
the  heavenly  mansion,  and  it  is  this  which  must  be  removed  if  you  ever  expect 
to  get  to  the  land  of  everlasting  life,  hope  and  happiness,  and  if  you  don’t  do 
it  there  will  be  stumbling  and  falling,  falling  and  falling! 

“Oh,  foolish  Galatians,  who  hath  bewitched  you  that  ye  should  not  obey 
the  truth,  before  whose  eyes  Jesus  Christ  hath  been  evidently  set  forth,  cruci- 
fied among  you? 

“Oh,  New  Zions,  ‘Are  ye  so  foolish?’ 

“Who  hath  warned  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come? 

“ ‘Have  ye  suffered  so  many  things  in  vain?’ 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


343 


“ ‘And  let  us  not  be  weary  in  well  doing,’  saith  Paul  to  the  Galatians, 
written  from  Rome. 

“ ‘For  behold  the  day  cometh  that  shall  bum  as  an  oven;  and  all  the  proud, 
yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly,  shall  be  stubble,  and  the  day  that  cometh  shall 
bum  them  up,’  saith  Malachi. 

“My  dear,  dying  congregation,  I shall  not  detain  you  any  longer  than  it  is 
necessary  to  illustrate  by  illustrating  that  the  sinner  who  dies  in  his  or  her 
sins  will  be  damned.  He  or  she  is  destined  to  be  plucked  out  from  the  elect 
and  plunged  down  into  the  depths  of  hell,  lapped  in  the  lambent  flames  of  an 
eternal  damnation,  in  company  with  the  devil  and  his  angels,  forever  and  for- 
ever, and  forever  and  ever! 

“My  dear,  dying  congregation,  let  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  be  the  guiding 
star  of  your  lives  and  when  I have  departed  it  will  give  you  comfort  and  joy. 

“I  am  in  the  condition  of  the  wolf  in  the  fold.  It  is  said  that  once  a wolf 
got  in  among  the  sheep  and  the  sheep  put  up  a job  on  him.  He  became  en- 
amored of  a beautiful  fat  lamb  and  lay  down  by  its  side  and  became  very  affec- 
tionate toward  it,  but  in  the  course  of  time  the  lamb  began  to  smell  something 
unusual  and  to  feel  that  it  was  in  the  wrong  place.  It  didn’t  like  the  smell  of 
the  wolf  and  got  up  and  started  away.  When  the  wolf  discovered  this  he  made 
a nab  at  the  lamb  and  tried  to  catch  it  by  the  tail,  but  all  the  other  sheep 
scrouged  in  on  the  wolf  and  scrouged  him  to  death,  and  this  is  about  the  fix  I am 
in  to-day.  It  was  a loving  beginning,  but  turned  out  to  be  a bad  job  in  the  end. 
They  seem  to  have  smelt  a wolf,  and  I feel  that  I am  scrouged  to  death. 

“I  shall  give  you  another  illustration,  so  that  you  may  forsake  your  sins 
and  come  to  the  throne  of  grace.  It  is  too  much  for  a man  to  be  betrayed  into 
the  fold  where  such  treatment  follows,  and  I shall  illustrate  it  further  by  say- 
ing that  all  who  shall  hereafter  seek  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world  had  better  be  pure  in  heart,  wash  off  the  scent  of  the  wolf  and  be 
ready  to  receive  the  blessings  of  the  fold  instead  of  being  scrouged  to  death 
before  departing  to  the  other  place  of  residence  in  the  eternal  hereafter. 

“I  hope  these  few  remarks  will  live  in  the  memory  of  my  few  hearers  on 
this  day  and  that  a day  will  come  when  they  shall  fill  their  place  in  the  history 
of  this  church  and  this  congregation. 

“I  am  not  inclined  to  be  in  a timid  mood  any  longer.  I am  at  a stage  to 
speak  out  and  act  as  my  mind  tells  me,  and  I am  going  to  depart  from  this 
neighborhood  with  the  free  will  and  consent  of  the  people  as  manifested  on 
this  occasion.  I expect  some  of  them  will  feel  hurt  when  I say  to  you  that  it 
is  a sin  and  a shame  for  me  to  be  denied  their  presence  on  this  the  last  day  of 
my  stay  among  them.  I desire  to  be  emphatic.  The  Sabbath  is  the  holy  day  of 
the  Lord,  and  in  the  light  of  the  great  rivers  of  blood  which  are  now  flooding 
our  land  from  the  Potomac  to  the  RioGrande,  blighting  homes,  breaking  hearts, 
bringing  death  and  desolation,  making  thousands  of  widows  and  orphans, 
creating  starvation,  sorrow  and  distress  everywhere,  it  is  as  little  they  could  do 
to  come  out  and  let  the  Lord  see  who  they  are.  I know  He  will  remember  them 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  as  I expect  to  do. 


344 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


“I  sincerely  hope  to  meet  you  all  in  the  land  of  the  redeemed.  God  is  the 
giver  of  all  good  and  the  devil  is  the  giver  of  all  the  evils  and  sorrows  that 
afflict  humanity. 

“A  sinner  is  a sinner,  and  he  or  she  is  a sinner  every  time  he  or  she  fails  to 
perform  the  duties  of  life  as  set  forth  in  Paul’s  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians  and 
to  the  Galatians.  I shall  not  detain  you  any  longer.  It  is  the  will  of  God  that 
a day  is  to  be  given  to  his  services  and  it  is  due  to  Him  to  perform  its  functions 
in  the  manner  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures. 

“I  want  it  understood  that  what  I have  said  is  intended  in  the  warmest 
friendship  and  true  Christian  spirit  and  for  the  sake  of  your  never-dying  souls. 

“In  the  morning  of  the  resurrection  I shall  come  to  the  throne  of  God  and 
there  I shall  lay  my  case  before  the  Messenger  who  was  sent  to  us  to  fulfill  His 
mission  here.  I am  now  at  a loss  to  know  just  how  I shall  be  fitted  for  the 
place  He  has  prepared  for  me,  but  I am  going  to  try  to  do  my  duty  as  I think 
it  should  be  done. 

“If  any  of  this  congregation  feel  that  a wolf  is  in  the  fold  I should  like  for 
them  to  intimate  it  by  doing  as  the  lamb  did  when  it  smelt  the  wolf,  and  I 
shall  then  understand  that  my  presence  is  not  wanted  any  longer.  I shall  feel 
as  though  I had  been  in' the  same  fix  as  the  wolf  unless  I am  admonished  other- 
wise. I am  not  disposed  to  let  the  opportunity  pass,  however,  to  prove  my 
fidelity  and  tender  feelings  for  those  whom  I have  served  so  long  and  for  whom 
I have  prayed  so  much. 

“Brethren,  sing  the  Doxology. 

Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow, 

Praise  Him  all  Creatures  here  below; 

Praise  Him  above,  ye  heavenly  host, 

Praise  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost. 

“And  may  the  blessings  of  God  rest  and  abide  with  you  all  forever.  Amen.” 

And  Little  Joe,  big-hearted  Little  Joe  Lewis,  took  up  his  hat  and 
saddlebags  and  bid  his  few  hearers  farewell  forever  on  this  earth, 
leaving  this  in  their  memory  as  a fulfillment  of  his  wish  and  prayer 
that  it  would  become  a part  of  the  history  of  that  congregation. 

This  sermon  made  such  an  impression  upon  the  few  who  were 
present  as  to  cause  it  to  be  considered  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
ever  delivered  in  that  community.  It  was  so  forceful  and  earnest  in 
its  delivery  that  most  of  the  survivors  who  heard  it  remember  its 
context  to  this  day,  and  this  fact  has  enabled  the  writer  to  reproduce 
it  and  incorporate  it  in  these  reminiscences  of  Pike  County. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


345 


MRS.  MARTHA  L.  J.  HOOVER. 

Mrs.  Martha  L.  J.  Hoover,  wife  of  the  late  Rev.  William  Hoover,  was  a 
daughter  of  Alexander  Thompson  3d  and  Dorothy  Pryor  Womack,  and  was 
bom  in  Amite  County  November  20,  1834.  The  Thompson  ancestors  were 
from  Scotland.  Some  of  them  settled  in  New  York,  North  Carolina  and  Geor- 
gia. Alexander  Thompson,  Sr.,  and  son  James,  fought  in  the  battle  of  King’s 
Mountain.  He  was  wounded 
in  the  head.  A man  named 
Griffith  was  shot  and  he  stooped 
to  raise  him  up  when  a ball 
struck  him  in  the  forehead, 
passed  over  his  head  under  the 
scalp  and  came  out  at  the  back 
of  the  neck,  which  prevented 
the  hair  from  growing  where 
the  scar  was  left.  Alexander 
Thompson  2d  came  to  Amite 
County  in  1818  with  the  Epps, 

Powells  and  Wells.  They 
organized  the  Pisgah  Presby- 
terian Church  with  Rev.  Robt. 

Smiley  pastor.  This  church  is 
now  in  Summit  with  all  its  re- 
cords. 

Alexander  Thompson  3d, 
father  of  Mrs.  Hoover,  who  mar- 
ried Dorothy  Pryor  Womack, 
of  St.  Helena  Parish,  La.,  re- 
moved from  Amite  County  and 
settled  on  the  Tickfaw  River, 
where  he  raised  his  family  and 
four  of  his  sons  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Shiloh.  D.  W. 

Thompson,  his  eldest  son,  at 
the  age  of  15  was  in  the  war 
with  Mexico  and  fifteen  years  later  raised  a company  for  the  Confederacy,  and 
one  of  his  brothers,  1 5 years  of  age,  was  a member  of  it. 

Dorothy  Pryor  Womack,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Hoover,  was  the  mother  of 
five  sons:  Diotician,  Robert,  Jefferson,  William  and  J.  P.  Street  Thompson, 
and  three  daughters:  Martha,  Virginia  and  Amelia.  Virginia  married  John  J. 
Wheat  and  is  the  mother  of  Judge  Wheat,  of  Beaumont,  Texas.  The  other 
daughter  died  in  the  Sacred  Heart  Convent,  St.  James  Parish,  La. 

The  Womacks  were  from  Georgia.  Abraham  and  his  brother  Jacob  Wo- 
mack, relatives  of  Mrs.  Hoover,  on  the  mother’s  side,  belonged  to  the  Louisiana 


Mrs.  Martha  L.  J.  Hoover 


346 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


militia  in  the  War  of  1812-15,  and  were  present  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 
Jacob  was  in  the  battle  and  claimed  to  be  the  man  who  shot  General  Pack- 
ingham  from  behind  a bale  of  cotton. 

Mrs.  Hoover  was  a highly  intellectual  woman,  devoted  Christian  and  relig- 
ious worker  and  was  a great  aid  to  her  husband  in  his  ministerial  work. 


MASONRY.  A MYSTERIOUS  FIND— A MASONIC  EMBLEM  FOUND 
IN  AN  INDIAN  MOUND  IN  PIKE  COUNTY. 

The  Masonic  historian  has  found  many  evidences  of  the  existence  of  Ma- 
sonry without,  however,  finding  sufficient  data  to  establish  a clear  and  con- 
tinuous record  from  the  time  Masons  first  arrived  at  the  places  where  such 
evidences  are  found. 

Much  rise  is  therefore  given  to  speculation  and  the  mind  of  man  creates 
fantasies  which  frequently  are  accepted  by  those  who  do  not  give  careful  study 
to  the  subject  as  facts. 

When  Masons  first  trod  the  soil  of  our  State  and  that  of  our  sister  Missis- 
sippi may  never  become  known.  From  time  to  time  there  are  found  relics 
which  establish  clearly  that  some  of  the  Craftsmen  penetrated  deep  into  the 
wilds  of  the  unexplored  domain — perhaps  lived  in  peace  and  amity  with  the 
Indians,  possibly  infusing  into  some  of  these  sons  of  the  wilderness  the  prin- 
ciples and  teachimgs  of  Masonry. 

We  take  pleasure  in  placing  before  our  readers  an  evidence  of  that  kind.  The 
stone  in  question  is  in  possession  of  Brother  Brittain  B.  Purser,  of  Osyka,  Miss., 
to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  following  lines  descriptive  thereof : 

brother  Brittain’s  letter. 

Among  the  many  Masonic  curios  which  show  the  antiquity,  and  as  well  the 
universality  of  Freemasonry  is  the  carved  stone  represented  herein.  This 
piece  of  shale  or  soft  stone  was  found  in  its  present  condition,  carving  and 
delineations,  in  a plowed  up  Indian  mound  some  twenty  miles  east  of  Osyka, 
Pike  County,  Miss.  It  was  picked  up  by  Alex.  Hughes,  who  at  the  time  of 
finding  was  about  nine  years  old,  and  it  has  been  in  his  keeping  since,  until  a 
few  months  ago  when  he  gave  it  to  the  writer.  Mr.  Hughes  is  now  a grown, 
settled  man,  with  a son  as  old  as  he  was  when  the  stone  was  found. 

A description  calling  attention  to  the  various  delineations  will  show  the 
correctness  of  the  knowledge  of  the  maker,  and  prove  beyond  the  shadow  of  a 
doubt  that  he  was  not  only  a fellow-craftsman,  but  was  in  possession  of  the 
exact  knowledge  of  all  three  degrees. 

On  the  obverse  side  of  the  stone  are  delineated  two  oblongs,  the  one  smaller 
and  within  the  other,  the  sides  of  the  two  being  parallel  and  the  angles  are  indi- 
cated each  by  an  arc  of  ninety  degrees.  Thus  in  this  we  have  the  form  of  the 
Lodge,  horizontals,  perpendiculars  and  right  angles.  Within  the  two  oblongs, 
and  nearer  one  end,  is  delineated  a small  part  of  the  Masonic  pavement.  Nearer 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


347 


the  other  end,  and  within  the  oblongs,  are  delineated  a square  and  compass, 
so  arranged  that  one  point  of  the  compasses  is  elevated  above  the  square,  the 
other  being  concealed  beneath.  One  leg  of  the  square  is  longer  than  the  other, 
indicating  the  carpenter’s  rather  than  the  stonemason’s  square. 

On  the  reverse  side  are  delineated  the  two  oblongs,  the  angles  of  ninety 
degrees,  but  in  the  inner  oblong  we  now  see  a symbol  beyond  the  two  on  the 
obverse  side,  for  there  is  delineated  a human  heart  pierced  by  an  arrow. 

The  stone  itself  is  carved  to  represent  a closed  book,  and  while  there  are 
no  letters  or  characters  to  indicate  the  fact,  one’s  first  thought  on  seeing  the 
shape  is  of  “The  Book  of  the  Law.” 

The  clear  indications  of  a knowledge  of  all  three  degrees  would  bring  the 
making  of  this  curio  to  within  something  less  than  175  years ; the  square  being 
that  of  the  carpenter  rather  than  the  stonemason,  would  indicate  French  ori- 
gin, while  the  arrow  in  place  of  the  sword  on  the  reverse  side,  and  as  well 
the  finding  in  an  Indian  mound,  and  with  no  other  evidences  of  civilization, 
would  indicate  an  Indian  origin.  We  would  therefore  suppose  that  this  stone 
was  carved  by  some  old  French  brother  and  from  him  came  into  possession 
of  the  Indians,  and  was  placed  in  the  mound  as  a talisman.  Or,  possession 
may  have  passed  to  the  Indian  because  of  ties  of  blood,  for  in  the  earlier  days 
of  this  section  of  country  matrimonial  as  well  as  fraternal  and  commercial 
treaties  were  made  between  the  French  and  Indians.  Of  this,  however,  we 
are  certain,  deep  down  in  the  heart  of  some  resident  or  visitor  to  this  district, 

in  the  earlier  days  when  the  undying  principles  of  the  and  in 

his  handiwork  we  see  the  signs  of  his  advancement  from  darkness  unto  light, 
and  though  his  heart  may  now  be  stilled  by  the  touch  of  man’s  last  and  best 
frien  d,  Death,  yet  across  the  gulf,  adown  the  years  comes  a message  from  him 
to  us,  for  in  the  imperishable  stone  he  has  given  us  the  signs  of  his  deliverance 
from  the  bondage  of  darkness,  and  we  may  well  believe  that  with  all  the  breth- 
ren who  have  gone  before  this  way  he  is  now  resting  from  his  labors  in  the 
celestial  Lodge  above,  where  the  G.  A.  O.  T.  U.  presides. 

Brittain  B.  Purser. 

Osyka,  Miss.,  September  8,  1902. 


Brother  Purser  is  a young,  highly  intelligent  and  progressive  Mason,  a 
scion  of  noble  ancestry.  He  is  a son  of  the  lamented  Rev.  D.  I.  Purser,  who 
sacrificed  his  life  in  the  discharge  of  his  sacred  calling  during  the  epidemic 
which  visited  our  city  in  the  autumn  of  1897. 

When  and  how  this  stone  came  into  an  Indian  mound,  among  arrows  and 
other  evidences  of  Indian  origin,  may  never  be  explained.  We  place  this 
fragment  of  historical  evidence  on  record  for  the  benefit  of  future  explorers. — 
Square  and  Compass. 

It  was  the  good  fortune  of  the  editor  of  the  Enterprise  to  see  this  curiosity 
and  decipher  its  well  illustrated  emblems.  The  cuts  given  in  this  article  are 
about  one-half  the  size  of  the  original  stone. 


348 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Mrs.  L.  W.  Conerly,  nee  Ida  M.  Farmer. 

Mrs.  Conerly  is  a daughter  of  Zachary  T.  Farmer  and  Mary  J.  Byars,  of 
'Sharon,  Madison  County,  Miss.,  and  was  married  on  the  4th  of  May,  1909. 
Her  father  was  a member  of  the  Second  Missouri  Light  Artillery,  King’s  Bat- 
talion, Armstrong’s  Brigade  of  Cavalry,  Jackson’s  Division,  and  surrendered 
with  Forrest  at  Gainesville,  Ala.,  1865.  She  had  two  uncles,  Henry  Clay  and 
Franklin  Pierce  Farmer,  in  the  Confederate  army,  both  killed  during  the  Civil 
War.  Her  grandfather  Farmer  was  a Confederate  soldier  also.  Her  grand- 
father, Philip  Byars,  was  a member  of  Company  H,  Ninth  Mississippi  Volun- 
teers, and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Franklin,  Tenn.,  November  30,  1864,  and 
was  buried  on  the  battlefield. 

Mrs.  Conerly  was  born  January  3,  1870,  at  Sharon. 


Mrs.  Eloise  Chisholm 
Holding  Quitman  Guards’  Banner 


350 


HISTORY  OP  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


SEQUEL  TO  THE  QUITMAN  GUARDS  BANNER. 


At  a reunion  of  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi  Regiment  in  Summit, 
in  1876,  William  Frank  McGehee  Was  appointed  custodian  by  mem- 
bers of  the  Quitman  Guards,  and 
kept  it  in  his  possession  for  twenty 
years.  Having  removed  to  Texas, 
he  returned  the  flag  to  Capt.  S.  A. 
Matthews,  the  first  captain  of  the 
company,  who  led  it  to  Virginia,  in 
1861,  and  after  his  death  his  widow 
kept  it  in  her  possession  until  April 


W.  Frank  McGehee 
Quitfnan  Guards 


21,  1906,  when  it  was  returned  to 
the  survivors  of  the  Quitman 
Guards  by  the  granddaughter  of 
Captain  Matthews,  Miss  Norma 
Dunn,  the  fourteen-year-old  daugh- 
ter of  Hollis  G.  Dunn  and  his  wife, 

Mamie  Matthews,  of  Summit,  at  a 
reunion  in  the  town  of  Holmesville, 
and  was  received  by  Capt.  John  Holmes,  the  last  and  surviving  captain 
of  the  company,  the  writer  acting  as  spokesman  for  Captain  Holmes. 
It  was  decided  to  have  this  banner  framed  between  two  large  glasses 


Lieut.  Van  C.  Coney 
of  the  Quitman  Guards 
Served  with  distinction  through  the  Civil  War 
He  was  severely  wounded  in  the  Battle  of 
Sharpsburg,  Md.,  Sept.  17th,  1862 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


351 


and  a record  of  it  and  of  the  company  written,  to  be  attached  to  it 
and  to  be  placed  in  the  Hall  of  Fame  at  Jackson,  and  the  writer  was 
appointed  its  last  custodian  and  historian  to  do  this  work,  and  to 
convey  the  banner  to  Jackson 
and  deposit  the  same  with  the 
Director  of  Archives  and 
History.  After  preliminary 
addresses  delivered  by  Capt. 

S.  C.  Walker,  of  the  Brent 
Rifles,  and  the  writer,  Rev. 

I.  H.  Anding  was  called  on 
and  spoke  as  follows: 

Survivors  of  the  Quitman 
Guards,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen: 

The  eloquent  addresses  to  which 
we  have  just  listened,  followed  by 
the  strains  of  music  to  the  air, 

“Home,  Sweet  Home,”  rendered 
so  beautifully  by  the  band,  stirs 
my  soul.  Were  I a poet  I should 
feel  constrained  to  compose  a lyric 
inspired  by  the  scenes  which  sur- 
round us  and  the  occasion  which 
calls  us  together.  Memories  of 
the  past  come  trooping  before  our 
mental  vision.  Well  do  I recall, 
though  younger  in  years  than  you 
veterans,  an  April  day,  forty-five 
years  ago,  next  Saturday,  when 
a dear  brother,  strong  and  intel- 
lectual, gentle  and  brave,  em- 
braced our  mother  and  kissed  us 
all  good-bye  and  went  away  in 
response  to  his  country’s  call  to 
the  Virginia  fields,  where  on  the 
2 1 st  of  August,  1864,  he  fell  in  the 
bloody  fight  at  Weldon  Junction. 

Some  of  your  comrades  fell  in  that  fierce  conflict, 
to  their  valor. 

To-day  our  surroundings  are  inviting;  nature  smiles  propitiously  upon  us, 
the  skies  bend  lovingly  over  us.  On  this  April  morning  the  breezes  gently  fan 


Thomas  M.  Barr 

In  original  uniform  of  Quitman  Guards,  1861. 

Mr.  Barr  is  a son  of  Joseph  Barr,  and  was  born  on 
Magee’s  Creek,  near  China  Grove.  He  was  wounded  in 
the  battle  of  Sharpsburg,  Md.,  Sept.  17th,  1862,  and  was 
detailed  and  appointed  Postoffice  Inspector  for  the  Con- 
federacy,  which  position  he  filled  during  the  remainder 
of  the  war.  He  is  now  a citizen  of  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


We  leave  a tribute  of  praise 


352 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


our  brows,  the  leaves  of  these  grand  old  oaks  dance  and  rustle  to  the  breeze; 
the  grass  gives  us  a carpet  of  velvet  green ; the  flowers  charm  us  with  fragrance 
and  loveliness;  the  birds  carol  their  praises  to  their  Maker;  the  waters  of  our 
valleys  go  murmuring  and  sparkling  to  the  sea.  This  is  a beautiful  world  in 
which  we  live.  Were  it  given  to  me  to  choose  an  orb  for  a permanent  abode, 
I think  it  would  be  this  earth  arrayed  in  its  sinless  beauty,  with  the  friends 
and  companions  I have  known  in  other  days  and  those  I now  know,  to  walk 

by  my  side.  “Sentiment,”  you  say; 
yes,  there  is  beauty,  too,  in  sentiment, 
that  kind  of  sentiment  which  denotes 
fixed  opinions  nurtured  by  feelings 
that  are  pure,  strong,  noble  and  good. 
The  occasion  of  this  hour  is  full  of 
that  sort  of  sentiment,  and  to  me  it 
is  beautiful.  We  have  after  nearly  a 
half  century,  the  opportunity  of  look- 
ing upon  a relic  that  recalls  the  long 
ago — a relic  which  tells  us  in  silent 
speech  of  the  loving  hands  and  hearts 
that  gave  it,  as  a memento  of  their 
patriotic  fervor  and  constant  devo- 
tion to  their  country’s  cause  and  to 
the  boys  who  were  to  wear  the  gray. 

It  is  my  delightful  privilege  to 
introduce  one  who  will  recommit  this 
sacred  relic  to  the  survivors  of  as 
gallant  a company  of  Southern  braves 
as  ever  raised  the  battle  cry  or 
marched  to  death  or  victory — the 
gallant  Quitman  Guards.  The  one 
who  is  to  present  this  flag  to  you 
today  is  fittingly  selected,  since  she 
is  the  granddaughter  of  your  first 
captain,  who  led  you  forth  in  answer 
to  country’s  call — Samuel  A.  Mat- 
thews— who,  a few  years  ago,  at  his 
home  in  Summit,  Miss.,  surrounded  by  loved  ones  and  friends,  fell  into  the 
dreamless  sleep.  She  is  also  the  granddaughter  of  Mathew  A.  Dunn,  one  of 
the  bravest  of  the  brave,  who  fell  on  Franklin’s  bloody  field. 

Survivors  of  the  Quitman  Guards,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen : 

Allow  me  to  present  one  who  is  a special  favorite  of  mine,  and  I know  she 
must  be  to  you  and  to  all  who  know  her,  the  daughter  of  our  most  excellent 
citizen  of  Summit,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hollis  G.  Dunn. 

I present  with  pleasure  Miss  Norma  Dunn: 


George  W.  Root 

Quitman  Guards,  (E),  16th  Mississippi 
One  of  the  gallant  young  men  from 
the  State  of  Connecticut 
Wounded  through  both  knees  in  the  seven  days 
battles  before  Richmond,  Va.,  and  disabled 
Now  a resident  of  St.  Helena  Parish,  La. 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


353 


Miss  Norma  Dunn 

SPEECH  OF  MISS  NORMA  DUNN  RETURNING  BANNER  TO  QUITMAN  GUARDS! 

The  occasion  we  celebrate  today  is  in  honor  of  the  Holmesville  Quitman 
Guards,  a few  survivors  of  whom  are  present  today  to  do  honor  to  the  memory 
of  the  107  who  left  for  the  field  of  carnage  forty-five  years  ago.  K; 

In  1859  the  Quitman  Guards  were  organized  as  a home  military  company, 
by  Capt.  Preston  Brent,  with  Chauncey  P.  Conerly,  Samuel  A.  Matthews,  Wm. 
J.  Lamkin,  John  Holmes,  Luke  W.  Conerly,  H.  Eugene  Weathersby,  Henry 
S.  Bonney,  William  Garner,  A.  P.  Sparkman,  Senaca  McNeil  Bain  and  others 
as  menbers  at  that  time. 

In  i860,  the  Ladies  of  Holmesville,  and  surrounding  country,  some  of  whom 
I can  mention: 

Madams  J.  T.  Lamkin,  S.  A.  Matthews,  Dr.  Jesse  Wallace,  H.  S.  Bonney 
J.  C.  Williams,  H.  M.  Quin,  Dr.  D.  H.  Quin,  H.  F.  Bridges,  Dr.  George  Nicholson 

23 


354 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


Owen  Conerly,  Preston  Brent,  Wm.  Ellzey  and  Jackson  Coney,  made  up  by 
subscription  $250,  and  purchased  a silk  banner,  and  appointed  Rachel  E. 
Coney,  who  named  Emma  Ellzey  and  Fanny  Wicker  as  maids  of  honor  to 

make  the  presentation.  The  three 
named  Thomas  R.  Stockdale  as  their 
escort,  and  on  this  very  spot,  where  we 
stand  today,  Rachel  E.  Coney  presented 
the  banner  and  it  was  received  on  the 
part  of  the  Quitman  Guards  by  the  Hon. 
H.  Eugene  Weathersby,  who  was  an 
honored  member.  Of  those  who  were 


Charles  E.  Hartwell 
Quitman  Guards,  Co.  E,  16th  Mississippi 
One  of  the  young  boys  who  joined  as  a recruit, 
serving  in  the  sanguinary  conflicts  in  Virginia 
from  the  Wilderness  May  6th,  1864, 
until  the  fall  of  Petersburg  and 
Richmond  in  1865 


members  at  that  time  and  present  at 
the  presentation  of  the  banner,  we  can 
only  recall  the  names  of  Capt.  John 
Holmes,  Luke  W.  Conerly,  Dr.  A.  P. 

Sparkman,  Dr.  W.  J.  Lamkin  and  Wm. 

E.  Brent,  who  are  living  today.  So  much 
for  1859  and  i860. 

In  1861,  forty-five  years  ago  today, 
after  a call  of  President  Davis  for  troops, 
the  Quitman  Guards  were  reorganized 
with  107  members  and  elected  S.  A. 

Matthews,  Captain;  James  M.  Nelson,  1st  Lieutenant;  Thomas  R.  Stockdale, 
2d  Lieutenant,  and  Senaca  McNeil  Bain,  3d  Lieutenant. 

Thus  formed,  they  left  Magnolia  on  the  26th  day  of  April,  and  were  mus- 
tered into  service  on  the  27th  day  of  May,  1861,  at  Corinth,  Miss.,  as  Company 


Dr.  R.  T.  Hart 
Quitman  Guards 
Wounded  in  Virginia 

Subsequently  appointed  Assistant  Surgeon  in 
the  Western  or  Tennessee  Army 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


355 


E,  1 6th  Mississippi  Regiment.  This  company  was  sent  to  Virginia  and  formed 
a part  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  remaining  with  Lee’s  army  from 
1861  to  1865,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Manassas,  Petersburg,  Gettys- 
burg, Spottsyl vania,  Sharpsburg,  Weldon  Railroad  and  all  of  the  great  battles 
of  that  country. 

This  scene  to  you,  noble  survivors  of  that  heroic  band,  must  recall  the 
halcyon  days  of  the  long  ago,  when  on  this  village  green  your  steps  were  blithe, 
your  hearts  were  glad,  and  your  eyes  spoke  love  to  eyes  of  those  who  call 
you  brave  and  true,  and  to  whom  you  tenderly  referred  as  your  “sweethearts 
pretty  girls.”  Now  five  and  forty  years  ago,  a voice  from  the  past  tells  of  the 
brave  heroic  deeds  of  those  who  fell  upon  the  firing  line,  and  of  those  who, 
after  the  storm  of  strife  had  passed,  returned  to  the  ordinary  pursuits  of  life 
to  fulfill  their  mission  and  then  go  over  to  meet  their  brothers  on  fame’s  eternal 
camping  ground.  Let  us  here  place  the  chaplet  of  praise  to  the  memory  of 
every  one  of  them,  and  permit  me  to  make  personal  reference  to  one  whose 
memory  you  sacredly  cherish,  and  whose  name  you  will  pronounce  with  a 
thrill  of  pride  to  your  posterity,  the  truest  type  of  Southern  blood,  and  the 
very  impersonation  of  dauntless  courage.  I refer  to  the  gentle,  the  generous, 
the  tried  and  true,  the  gallant,  the  intrepid  Frank  McGehee.  Should  a monu- 
ment ever  be  erected  on  this  spot  to  the  memory  of  the  gallant  braves  of  the 
Quitman  Guards,  let  the  name  of  “Shanks,”  as  he  was  lovingly  called  by  his 
comrades,  stand  out  in  bold  relief,  the  synomyn  of  Southern  manhood,  and 
the  highest  type  of  the  Confederate  soldier;  this  single  reference  is  made,  not 
to  detract  from  others  just  as  noble  and  brave,  but  to  do  honor  to  one  who 
for  twenty  years  was  the  custodian  of  this  flag  and  who  represented  the  chivalric 
spirit  of  the  Quitman  Guards.  And  now  as  a direct  descendant  of  him  who 
led  you  as  your  first  captain  under  the  bugle  call  to  arms  in  the  great  civil 
strife — Capt.  S.  A.  Matthews — it  is  my  happy  privilege  through  the  esteemed 
honor,  you,  the  survivors  of  the  Quitman  Guards  have  conferred  on  me,  to 
recommit  this  banner  to  your  sacred  care  and  keeping.  It  tells  its  own  story. 
Time,  with  its  corroding  touch,  has  dimmed  its  material  luster,  but  not  its  in- 
herent glory.  It  speaks  emblematically  today  of  Southern  chivalry  as  crys- 
talized  in  the  hearts  of  the  many  fair  young  daughters  of  our  noble  old  county 
of  Pike.  In  its  fold,  as  in  your  hearts,  are  enshrined  the  memories  of  mothers, 
sisters,  sweethearts,  whose  faith  in  your  gallantry  has  been  your  inspiration 
on  many  a hard  fought  field.  Pathetically,  though  triumphantly,  it  tells  of 
those  ever  living  principles  for  which  our  dear  Southland  poured  out  its  most 
precious  blood.  Though  our  flag  went  down  in  defeat  these  principles  can 
never  die.  Silently  this  flag  symbolizes  them  today,  as  when  our  fathers 
donned  the  gray. 

To  you,  Capt.  John  Holmes,  the  worthy  survivor  of  the  comrades  who 
honored  you  as  their  leader  and  followed  at  your  command  into  the  thickest 
of  the  fight,  I commit  this  sacred  relic,  the  grandest  and  most  characteristic 
symbol  of  that  liberty  for  which  our  fathers  and  your  brothers  gave  their 
lives;  keep  it,  and  guard  it  for  the  sake  of  those  who  first  gave  it  to  you.  Care 


356 


HISTORY  OF  PIKE  COUNTY,  MISSISSIPPI 


for  it  for  the  sake  of  those  who  followed  its  bearer,  preserve  it  for  the  sake  of 
those  principles  it  silently,  but  emphatically,  represents.  In  the  words  of 
another 

“Lift  up  your  boy  on  your  shoulder  high, 

And  show  him  the  faded  shred, 

Those  bars  would  be  red  as  the  sunset  sky 
If  death  could  have  dyed  them  red.” 

Off  with  your  hats  as  the  flag  goes  by, 

Uncover  the  youngest  head, 

Teach  him  to  hold  it  holy  and  high 
For  the  sake  of  the  sacred  dead.” 

And  now,  may  you  honored  sir — and  few  but  faithful  who  survive  with 
you  and  share  these  reminiscences  of  a deathless  past,  together  with  all  of  us 
who  love  our  new  South,  our  country  and  its  flags,  may  it  not  be  ours  to  hear 
again  the  beat  of  drum  which  calls  to  mortal  combat,  or  feel  the  chilling  shadow 
of  the  storm  cloud  of  war,  but  when  at  last  we  strike  our  tents  from  the  old 
camp  ground  of  this  life,  may  we  go  over  as  loyal  soldiers  to  the  great  Captain 
of  our  salvation,  to  drink  from  the  springs  of  everlasting  peace  and  to  hear 
from  His  sacred  lips  the  glad  “Well  done!” 


Miss  Dunn  was  replied  to  by  the  writer  in  a short  appropriate 
address  in  behalf  of  Captain  Holmes,  to  whom  the  banner  was  return- 
ed, during  which  a crown  of  flowers  was  placed  on  her  head  by  Miss 
Fredirica  Bongard,  and  she  was  adopted  as  the  daughter  of  the 
survivors  of  the  Quitman  Guards,  and,  in  the  language  of  the  Magnolia 
News,  “Thus  bringing  to  a sublime  ending  in  a most  befitting  Way 
one  of  the  most  noted  historical  events  of  Pike  County.” 

The  good  man  into  whose  hands  this  relic  was  again  placed  has 
since  passed  and  gone  where  the  echoes  of  war  shall  not  be  heard 
and  now  sleeps  the  dreamless  sleep  in  the  cemetery  at  Magnolia  beside 
his  own  beloved  Alvira,  who  in  the  very  midst  of  the  storm  of  the 
great  conflict  gave  her  heart  and  hand  to  him;  and  Lieutenant  John 
Q.  Travis,  too,  the  handless  veteran,  who  stood  by  his  side,  succeeded 
to  the  command  of  the  last  remnant  of  the  old  guards,  only  to  cross 
over  the  river  in  a few  weeks  after. 


Illustrations 


PAGE 

Alford  Bridge  over  Bogue  Chitto  River 12 

Barr,  Thos.  M 351 

Bonney,  Nelson  P 288 

Boyd,  Capt.  A.  A 194 

Brent,  Col.  Preston 197 

Chisholm,  Mrs.  Eloise 349 

Collins,  Hon.  Frederick  W 264 

Conerly,  Mrs.  A.  L 74 

Conerly,  Buxton  R 230 

Conerly,  Chauncey  P 202 

Conerly,  Mrs.  L.  W 348 

Conerly,  Owen 73 

Coney,  Lieut.  Van.  C 350 

Connally,  Capt.  Thos.  J 190 

Dick,  Isaac  C 51 

Duncan,  Lieut. -Col.  James  Hehderson 236 

Dunn,  Miss  Norma 353 

Ellis,  Ezekiel  Park 62 

Geo.  Smith’s  Water  Mill  and  Dam  Over  Kirkland’s  Creek 82 

Harris,  Gen.  Nathaniel  H 229 

Hart,  Dr.  R.  T 354 

Hartwell,  Charles  E 354 

Holmes,  Capt.  John 173 

Hoover,  Capt.  Kit 207 

Hoover,  Martha  L.  J 345 

Hoover  Iron  Bridge 224 

Iron  Bridge,  Scene  on  Bogue  Chitto  River 36 

Lamkin,  Hon.  J.  T 202 

Lamkin,  Dr.  Wm.  J 176 

Lamkin,  Mrs.  W.  J 138 

Lampton,  Benjamin 257 


358 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Matthews,  Capt.  Samuel  A 172 

McGehee,  W.  Frank 350 

McNair,  Captain 196 

Miller,  Mrs.  Joe 138 

Peter  Sandifer  in  Bear  Fight  Scene  on  McGee’s  Creek,  1820 64 

Portrait  of  Author Frontispiece 

Prewitt,  Ansel  H 155 

Root,  Geo.  W 352 

Sparkman,  Dr.  A.  P 297 

The  Bonnie  Blue  Flag opp.  147 

Travis,  Lieut.  John  Q 187 

Tyler,  Wm.  G 83 

View  on  F.  W.  Collin’s  Farm 265 


Contents 


CHAPTER  I. 


A Veteran  of  1812 

Act  Creating  Territory 

Bacot,  Laban 

Bogue  Chitto  River,  The 

Bones  of  Soldier  of  War  of  1812  interred  in  Chalmette  Cemetery 

Carroll,  General 

Claiborne,  Governor 

Cleveland,  David 

Commissioners  to  Fix  Seat  of  Justice. 

Convention,  Constitutional 

Constitutional  Convention,  1832 

County  Officers,  List  of 

Courts,  Where  Held 

Dedication 

Formation  of  Territorial  Government,  1798 

Gov.  Winthrop  Sargent  

Harvey,  Michael 

Hernando  DeSoto 

Holmes,  Governor 

Holmes,  Major  Andrew  Hunter 

Holmesville  Survey 

Holmesville,  Incorporation  of 

Home  Life 

Introduction 

Marion  County,  December  9,  1811 

Marion  County,  Division  of,  December  9,  1815 

McNabb,  J.  Y 

M.  DeSalle 

Military  Duty 

Mississippi,  Admission  as  State 

New  County,  Law  Creating 

Origin  of  Mississippi 

Pike  County,  Creation  of,  1815 

’Possum  and  Coon  Hunters 

Seat  of  Territorial  Government 

Warren,  John 

Williams,  Governor 


PAGE 


23 

31 

32 


16 

26 

24 
14 

31 

32 
27 
14 

5 

11 

26 

12 

10 

10 

14 

15 
26 
32 

7 

11 

13 

25 
10 
31 

26 
1 25 

9 

10 

34 

13 

12 

26 


360 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  II. 

PAGE 

Alfred,  Edwin 30 

Bacot,  Laban,  Bom 47 

Bacot,  Laban,  Elected  Sheriff  1817 47 

Barnes,  John 37 

Barr,  Joseph 41 

Bogue  Chitto  Church,  The 44 

Burglary  Statute 48 

Catching,  Joseph 52 

Cothem,  William 44 

Crawford,  Rev.  Jesse 45 

Early  Settlers 35 

Ellzey,  John 39 

Felder,  Peter 37-41 

First  Bom  Son 38 

First  Sheriff’s  Office 47 

Fortinberry,  William 39 

Gatlin,  Colonel  James 46 

George  III 54 

Grist  Mill,  A 37 

Little,  Margaret 38 

Magee,  Jeremiah  and  Sire 49 

Martin,  Josiah 49 

McCollough,  Alexander 42 

McCollough,  William 35 

McEwin,  Mathew 42 

McMorris  Family 50 

Otopasas,  The 35 

Pecan  Tree,  A 35 

Quin,  Daniel 37 

Reeves,  John  45 

Reeves,  Lazarus 44 

Sandell,  Daniel 36 

Sartin,  John 39 

Sartin,  Major 39 

Simmons,  William 41 

Simmons,  Willis 41 

Smith,  Jeremiah 36 

Sparkman,  Reddick  T 56 

Taylor,  John 35 

Thomas,  Captain  West  ley 52 

Tumipseed,  Dr. 44 

Walker,  John 42 


CONTENTS 


361 


PAGE 

Warren,  John 35 

Washington,  On  the  Death  of 53 

Whipping  Post,  The 48 

“Widow  Phillips” 48 

CHAPTER  III. 

Andrews,  James 92 

Bearden,  Jeremiah 79 

Boon,  William  66 

Bracey,  Harrison 68 

Bullock,  Joel 68 

Burkhalter,  Daniel 66 

China  Grove 58 

Craft,  James 78 

Conerly,  Owen  and  Luke  58 

Connally,  Thomas  J 72 

Craft,  John 78 

Collins,  Chauncey 84 

Darbun  Creek 67 

Dillon,  Richard 87 

Ellis,  Stephen 59 

Ellis,  Ezekiel  Parke 61 

First  Postoffice 62 

Fort  Mims 60 

Gartman,  Bartholomew 75 

Great  Land  Excitement 93 

Grubbs,  Gilbert 75 

Hall,  Armistead S7 

Harvey,  Michael 70 

Holmes,  Elisha 66 

Jones,  Benjamin 69 

Lamkin,  William 75 

Lamptons,  The 90 

Lawrence,  John 86 

Lewis,  Quincy 76 

Ligon,  Colonel  William  B 76 

Martin,  Wiley 86 

May,  Joseph 92 

McAlpin,  Dr 76 

O’Brian,  Daniel 86 

Owen,  Jacob 81 

Pacific-Atlantic  Hurricane 63 

Parker,  Joseph 79 


362 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Payne,  Nelson 85 

'Possum  for  Sally 72 

Pushmataha,  General 60 

Ratliff,  Richard 68 

Ratliff,  George,  (slave) 79 

Raiford,  Needham  B 88 

Ravencraft,  William 71 

Sartins  Church 59 

Smith,  Charles 80 

Smith,  George,  Sr . 87 

Sneed,  John 75 

Stalling,  John 81 

Stovall,  Ralph 58 

Thompson,  Parish 59 

Tylertown 81 

Tyler,  William  G 83 

When  the  Stars  Fell 91 

Youngblood,  Benjamin  90 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Allen,  Gabriel 100 

Bain,  Senaca  McNeil 127 

Balloon  Incident 131 

Bickham,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 117 

Bond,  Henry , 99 

Bonney,  Henry  S 128 

Brumfield,  John 105 

Carr,  Frank 121 

Coney,  William 129 

Cothern,  William 99 

Ellzey,  William 128 

Finch’s  Dog 128 

First  Masonic  Lodge 112 

First  Methodist  Camp  Meeting 106 

Gray,  Sherod 95 

Hart,  John 94 

Hoover,  Judge  Christian 99 

In  the  Forties 115 

Johnson,  William  R 120 

Kaigler,  John • 98 

Lamkin,  John  T 120 

Leake,  Walter 107 


CONTENTS 


363 


PAGE 

Leggett,  William 105 

Lewis,  Judge  Lemuel 129 

Lichtensteins,  The  116 

McNair,  E 110 

Mitchell,  Marmaduke 131 

Must  Take  a Ducking 133 

Nelson,  Dr.  James  M 123 

New  Orleans,  Jackson  & Great  Northern  Railroad,  The 124 

Packwood,  Dudley  W 121 

Pike’s  Legislators 107 

Pound,  Daniel  W 106 

Quin,  Colonel  Peter 100 

Salem  Baptist  Church 107 

Seat  of  Government  at  Columbia 107 

Sibley  Incident 102 

Silver  Creek  Church 97 

Sincerity  Lodge,  F.  & A.  M.,  No.  214 123 

Stuart,  Oscar  James  E 120 

Still  Creek 97 

Stockdale,  Professor 120 

Stone,  William  A Ill 

Wingoes,  The 118 

CHAPTER  V. 

Abolition  Emissaries 149 

Bacot,  Levi 136 

Black  Abolition  Party 145 

Banner  Association 137 

Banner  Presentation,  i860 137-142 

Beauregard,  General,  and  Fort  Sumter 158 

Bonny  Blue  Flag,  The 147 

Brunette,  Rene  H 152 

Buchanan,  James 157 

Burkhalter,  Flem,  Was  Up  to  the  Game 154 

Cain,  General  William 145 

Coffin,  Levi,  the  Slave  Thief 169 

Coney,  Miss  Rachel  E 137 

Davis,  Jefferson 158 

Election  of  Lincoln -and  Hamlin 146 

First  Fandango,  The 153 

First  Settlers  of  Summit 151,  153 

Fall  Election,  i860 146 


364 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Forbade  Importation  of  Slaves 144 

Four  Tickets  in  the  Field 146 

Garland,  William  H I53 

Grading  of  the  Railroad 155 

Greeley,  Horace 159 

Hard  to  Escape  History 162 

Lincoln’s  Call  for  75,000  Men 161 

Maryland  Invaded  and  Subjugated 159 

Massachusetts  the  First  to  Legalize  Slavery,  in  1641 169 

Miller,  Captain  Joseph  H 157 

Miss  Coney’s  Address 141 

New  England  Troops  Furnished  to  Rob  the  South 170 

New  England  the  Fomenters  of  Secession 144,  163,  166 

New  York  in  1859  and  i860 168 

Political  Excitement 143 

Prewitt,  Ansel  H 155 

Quitman  Guards,  1859 1.37 

Secession  Convention 148 

Secession  of  South  Carolina 

Secession  of  Mississippi 147 

Slave  Traders  and  Kidnapers 144 

State  of  Maryland,  The 15S 

Some  Notes  on  Secession 163 

T reachery  of  United  States  Government 159 

Weathersby,  Hugh  Eugene 140,  142,  150 

Wingo,  Green,  Hung 153 

Year  i860,  The 145 

CHAPTER  VI. 

All  of  Pike’s  Men  in  the  Field 221 

Artisans  of  Pike  County 214 

Ball,  Lieutenant  Sampson 224 

Banks  Driven  Across  Potomac 216 

Battle  of  Bull  Run 175 

Battle  of  Winchester,  Virginia 216 

Bogue  Chitto  Guards 190 

Bain,  Col.  Seneca  McNeil  178 

Brent  Rifles 197 

Brown,  Captain,  Killed 216 

Captain  James  Conerly’s  Company  M.  M 211 

Capture  of  Jefferson  Davis 226 


CONTENTS 


365 


Cold  Harbor 

Colonel  Wingfield’s  Militia 

Confederate  Prisoners 

Conover  Conspiracy 

Conquered  Banner,  The 

Conscription  Act 

Cross  Keys 

Dahlgreen  Rifles 

Desperate  Encounters 

Dick,  Ike  C.,  Wounded  

Dixie  Guards 

Enemy’s  Great  Army 

Fall  of  Fort  Sumter 

First  Battle  of  Manassas 

Fremont  and  Shields 

General  Lee’s  Army 

Great  Problem 

Grierson’s  Raid 

Homespun  Dress 

Holmesville  Guards 

Hoover,  Capt.  Kit 

How  Fort  Gregg  Was  Defended. 

Jackson,  Stonewall 

Land  of  Desolation,  A 

Lincoln  Assassinated 

Lincoln’s  Perfidy 

McNair  Rifles 

Nash’s  Company 

President  Davis’  Call  for  Troops 

Quin,  Col.  Wm.  Monroe 

Quitman  Guards 

Rhodes’  Cavalry 

Seeds  of  Grief 

Shiloh 

Sixteenth  Mississippi  Regiment . 

Southern  Cross  is  Furled 

Stockdale’s  Cavalry 

Summit  Rifles 

Surratt,  Mrs.,  Hung 

Travis,  John  Quincy 

Union  Prisoners 

Wirz,  Captain,  Hanged 


PAGE 
. . . 216 
. . . 210 
. . . 225 
227 
. . . 237 
212 

. . . 186 
. . . 191 
. . . 223 
. . . 217 
. . . 207 
. . . 219 
. . . 211 
. . . 175 
. . . 216 
. . . 217 
. . . 214 
. . . 223 
. . . 215 
. . . 201 
. . . 207 
. . . 230 
. . . 213 
. . . 225 
. . . 226 
...  220 
...  193 
...  200 
...  172 
. . . 201 
...  172 
. . . 209 
. . . 237 
. . . 217 
. . . 174 
. . . 237 
. . . 203 
. . . 183 
. . . 226 
...  1S1 
226-228 
. . . 227 


36G 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE 

Alcorn,  James  L 256 

Ames,  General  Adelbert 254 

Burris  Magee  Trial 281 

Cotton  in  1865 241 

Clinton  Riots 266 

Cold-blooded  Sentiment,  A 248 

Collins,  Fred  W 262-266 

Conditions  of  the  South  in  1865 242 

Coushatta 269 

Clark,  Governor  Charles 251 

Danger  That  Threatened,  The 246 

DeCline,  Colonel 268 

Death  Roll  of  Armies 272 

Election  in  1871 258 

Fate  of  Mrs.  Lecour  and  Daughter 268 

Galloway,  Bishop 273 

Grant  Parish,  Louisiana 268 

Head,  Joseph 255 

Hurst,  D.  W 284 

Ku  Klux  Klan,  The 248 

Long-haired  Goat,  The 286 

Miscegenation 246 

Negro  Outrage 267 

Negro  Troops  at  Holmesville 247 

Newspapers 288 

Otkin,  Charles  H 278 

Peabody  Public  School 278 

Quin,  Judge  H.  M 280 

Roane,  W.  H 258 

Rowland,  Hon.  Dunbar 253 

Sharkey,  William  L 252 

State  Expenditures 258 

Terrible  Vandalism 259 

When  the  Armies  Were  Disbanded 247 

Young,  Charles  B 254 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Ames  Impeached 305 

Bridges,  Hugh  Q 302 

Buried  the  Hatchet 311 

Collins,  F.  W 298 


CONTENTS 


367 


PAGE 

Cordova  Impeached 304 

Davis,  A.  K.,  Removed 304 

Death  of  William  H.  Roane 305 

Election  of  1875 294-298 

Felder,  R.  H 298 

Fired  on  by  Negroes 303 

Firing  of  Columbus 298 

Garland,  William  H.,  Jr 297 

In  Louisiana 291 

Laying  of  Comer  Stone  of  New  Court  House 307 

Legislative  Investigation 304 

Letter  from  General  Featherston 306 

Magnolia  Election . ...  302 

Magnolia  Herald,  The 299 

Negro  Camp  Meetings 293 

New  Orleans  Democrat 305 

No  Loud  Crowing  Cocks 300 

Origin  of  “Bulldozer” 292,  294 

Patton,  Charles  L 303 

Redmond  & Barrett 303 

Removal  of  the  Court  House 295 

Results  of  Election 299 

Reunion  of  the  Sixteenth  Mississippi  Regiment 306 

Sparkman,  Dr.  A.  P 297 

Stupidity  of  the  Nineteenth  Century 314 

Travis,  J.  Q 302 

United  States  Cavalry  at  McComb 303 

White  League,  The 292 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Activity  of  White  Leaguers  and  Bulldozers 329 

Ames,  ex-Govemor  Adelbert 317 

Apprehension  of  the  People 323 

Barrett,  Fred 322 

Church,  Rev.  H.  M 322 

County  Convention 319 

Congressional  Convention 319 

Debt  of  Mississippi 317 

Gains  & Swazey 324 

Grant  Must  Call  Off  His  Dogs 323 

Grant  Would  Invade  Arkansas 329 

Haven,  Bishop 322 


368 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

His  Fraudulency 331 

Hoover,  Mrs.  Martha  L.  J 345 

Jackson,  Colonel  Mose 324 

Little  Joe  Lewis 339 

Lynch,  John  R 321 

Magnolia  Herald,  The 322 

Masonic  Emblem 346 

Nomination  of  Presidential  Candidates 320 

One  Weber 324 

Organization  of  Clubs 319-320 

Outrage  in  Lawrence 326 

Packwood,  Bridges  and  Conerly  327 

Population  of  Pike  County 331 

Rate  of  Taxation 318 

Sequel  to  Quitman  Guards  Banner 350 

Sheridan,  Phil.  A 323 

Stone,  John  M 318 

Torch  Light  Procession 328 

Tylertown  Club 325 

Wild  Jim  Barnes 332 


Date  Due 


CARREL  NO, 

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i'l  vi  tr\  t 

Form  335— 40M -6-39— S 


Duke 


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S76.269  C747P  376773 

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ISSUED  TO 


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